2026-10-06T05:10:36Z https://aca.pensoft.net/oai.php

10.3897/aca.1.e29329 2018-08-30 aca

Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa author du Preez, Gerhard https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6216-1641 Department of Animal Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany author Majdi, Nabil Biosystematics, Agricultural Research Council – Plant Protection Research Institute, Queenswood, South Africa author Swart, Antoinette Department of Animal Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany author Traunspurger, Walter Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa author Fourie, Hendrika 2018-08-30 2018-08-30 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29329 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29329 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29329/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29329/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29329/download/xml/ Nematodes inhabit most environments that address their need of water, carbon, and energy. They also play an important role in epigean food webs by occupying different trophic levels, while providing essential ecosystem services such as regulating decomposition and nutrient mineralization. Conversely, little is known about the role that nematodes play in subterranean ecosystems. For this reason, an in-depth review was undertaken in order to concatenate data from existing literature and provide a baseline for future studies. A total of 41 surveyed scientific works, published over a time period of 138 years, reported 295 unique taxa from 78 different cave systems. Although an increase in scientific outputs was recorded from the late 1990s, there is a considerable lack of information on cave-dwelling nematodes from Asia, South America, and North America. Also, only seven true cave-dwelling (troglobitic) species have been discovered, which may indicate a lack of comprehensive taxonomic efforts. From an ecological perspective, very few works have reported on the importance of nematode assemblages associated with cave ecosystems. This has resulted in the causal factors leading to population resilience processes, as well as trophic interactions, remaining mostly speculative. Nonetheless, the isolated cave-dwelling nematode assemblage associated with Movile Cave, including the true cave-dwelling species Chronogaster troglodytes, fulfills an important role by feeding on microbial mats and in turn serving as a food source for predators. This example of a cave nematode assemblage providing ecosystem services has inspired the undertaking of the Gcwihaba Caves Research Project, which aims at studying artificially opened caves in Ngamiland, Botswana. Compared to other caves in the area with natural openings, the artificially opened systems present different food source pathways, atmospheric conditions, and community assemblage structures. This provides a unique opportunity to study isolated cave communities, including nematode assemblages, as well as their ecological importance. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Nematodes down under: State of knowledge and future trends Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29368 2018-08-30 aca

Department of Ecology, University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia author Rendoš, Michal Department of Zoology, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Kováč, Ľubomír https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8194-2128 Department of Zoology, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Mock, Andrej https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6541-9633 Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia author Dana, Miklisová 2018-08-30 2018-08-30 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29368 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29368 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29368/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29368/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29368/download/xml/ The monthly dynamics of collembolan communities was studied over a year-long period in the depth profile of forested scree slope in the karst area of the Čierna hora Mts. (Western Carpathians, Slovakia). Collembola were sampled using non-baited subterranean traps consisted of a plastic cylinder with the small openings drilled around at 10 horizontal levels (5 – 95 cm), and a system of 10 plastic cups connected to each other by a helical rod and nuts. The plastic cylinder, after being buried in the slope profile, served as a protective casing for inserting the plastic cups filled with the preservative solution. The cups inside the cylinder were placed right under the openings on the cylinder perimeter, enabling to trap specimens in the particular depth. The temperature was measured continuously throughout the study at four-hour intervals using thermo-data loggers affixed to the wall of the plastic cups. During the year, the monthly temperature means on the surface ranged between 0.2°C (January) to 16.6°C (August) while the monthly temperature means at the depth of 95 cm ranged between 3.5°C (April) to 15.2°C (September). Monthly temperature ranges varied from 5.0°C (February) to 12.5 °C (October) on the surface and from 0.5°C (February, April) to 4.5 °C (July) at 95 cm. A total of 60 collembolan species were identified, among them 27 trogloxenes, 19 subtroglophiles, 12 eutroglophiles and 2 troglobionts. Fluctuations of the locomotory activity during the year were observed in all four categories of Collembola and at all depths. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed collembolan activity to be substantially affected by the thermal conditions fluctuating over the year. Most eutroglophiles and troglobionts, associated with deeper layers of the scree slope, preferred rather lower temperature ranges and were typical of the autumn months. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Dynamics of collembolan communities inside the forested scree slope Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29275 2018-08-30 aca

National Museum of Natural History and Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, Bulgaria author Stoev, Pavel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5702-5677 2018-08-30 2018-08-30 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29275 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29275 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29275/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29275/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29275/download/xml/ There are three key challenges that need to be addressed by journal publishers nowadays: increasing machine-readability and semantic enrichment of the published content to allow text and data mining, aggregation and re-use; adopting open science principles to expand from publication of mainly research articles to all research objects through the research cycle, and facilitating all of this to authors, reviewers and editors through novel and user-friendly technological solutions. ARPHA stands for: Authoring, Reviewing, Publishing, Hosting and Archiving, all in one place. ARPHA is the first publishing platform to support the full life cycle of a manuscript within a single online collaborative environment. The platform consists of two interconnected but independently functioning journal publishing workflows: ARPHA-XML: Entirely XML- and Web-based, collaborative authoring, peer review and publication workflow; ARPHA-DOC: Document-based submission (PDF, or text files), peer review and publication workflow. A full list of services provided by ARPHA is available at: http://arphahub.com/about/services Furthermore, Pensoft has been heavily investing in the technological advancement of its journals. The most significant technologies implemented by Pensoft as demonstrated also by the journal Subterranean Biology in the recent years are: Automatic registrations of reviews at Publons - Publons helps reviewers and editors get recognition for every review they make for the journal; Dimensions - powerful tracker of citations, which provides ranking of given research in a given field; Scopus CiteScore Metrics - interactive tool providing information on journal’s performance; Еxport of published figures & supplementary materials to Biodiversity Literature Repository at ZENODO - increases visibility and traceability of article and sub-article elements;  Hypothes.is - tool allowing annotations on selected texts from the published article. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Pensoft’s ARPHA Publishing Platform top innovations in OA publishing as demonstrated by Subterranean Biology Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29300 2018-08-30 aca

American University, Washington, United States of America author Keany, Jenna 2018-08-30 2018-08-30 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29300 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29300 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29300/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29300/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29300/download/xml/ Washington, D.C. is home to a remarkable assemblage of troglomorphic amphipods and isopods living in shallow groundwater habitats, the hypotelminorheic. Groundwater from the hypotelminorheic emerges on the surface into low-flowing seepage springs, or “seeps”, which are categorized as having blackened leaves, an underlain layer of clay, a drainage area of less than 10,000 m2, and are situated in slight topographical depressions. Stygobiotic species found in D.C.’s seeps include Crangonyx and Stygobromus amphipods and Caecidotea isopods. One species, Stygobromus hayi, is on the endangered species list and is endemic to the district; however, little is known about their habitat preferences or their distribution. All small water bodies, including rainwater puddles and seepage springs were sampled in national park lands in Southeast D.C. for hypotelminorheic fauna, soil morphology, and water quality indicators such as nitrates, phosphates, radon, pH, DO, and conductivity. Comparing sites with and without stygobionts, all phsysico-chemical parameters were statistically insignificant except for conductivity, which was able to distinguish between stygobiont-rich and stygobiont-poor seeps using logistic regression. Spatially, Crangonyx and Stygobromus amphipods rarely inhabit the same seepage spring, with only three occasions of cohabitation and an expected occurrence of ten. Caecidotea, however, is found in habitats with both amphipods. These results can be explained by either competitive exclusion or the presence of chemical differences in their habitats; however, even if there were some slight differences in their habitats, that still does not exclude competitive exclusion as an explanation. This study highlights new and important findings into the environmental preferences of D.C.’s most cryptic and rare species, and the importance of continued exploration of D.C.’s lesser known park lands. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Subterranean Species in Washington, D.C.: Spatial Analysis, Habitat Preferences, & Urban Conservation Implications Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29259 2018-08-30 aca

Institute of Griundwater Ecology - Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany author Griebler, Christian 2018-08-30 2018-08-30 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29259 2018 funder Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 10.13039/501100002347 funder Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 10.13039/501100001659 10.3897/aca.1.e29259 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29259/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29259/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29259/download/xml/ Groundwater ecosystems are naturally low in productivity (oligotrophic) reflected by a comparably low standing stock of biomass and slow growth and reproduction of organisms. On the other hand, aquifers are, due to their dimensions, enormous (interim) reservoirs of carbon. However, since we typically lack detailed information on carbon and energy flow through groundwater food webs, it is difficult to predict effects of climate and global change on groundwater ecosystems performance with regard to ‘sink’ or ‘source’ of carbon. Applying stable isotope analysis, high end mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry in addition to a suite of established methods in microbiology and geochemistry, we started to dissect, at selected sites, the various pools and fluxes of organic carbon in aquifers, including dissolved organic matter, particulate organic matter, and organisms. Moreover we investigated the link between carbon (organic and inorganic) and microbial growth and productivity. Last but not least, we tried to uncover food sources for groundwater fauna and the connection to microbes. The work was done in collaboration with Roland Hofmann, Katrin Hug, Marion Gallus, Lucas Fillinger, Marina Spona-Friedl, Alexander Braun, Ramona Brejcha (Institute of Groundwater Ecology at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany) and Jenny Uhl, Norbert Hertkorn, and Philip Schmitt-Kopplin (Research Unit Analytical Biogeochemistry at the Helmholtz Zentrum München).  Groundwater rarely contained less than 1 mg/L DOC, however, with only a small fraction being readily biodegradable (BDOC, AOC). Unrecognized, 10-100 times the amount of organic carbon dissolved in groundwater was found to be adsorbed to the sediment matrix. Cell numbers and activities of microbes in aquifers typically ranged 1-3 orders below values from surface waters. In fact, carbon use efficiency (CUE) of groundwater bacterial communities was considerably lower than values from other oligotrophic aquatic environments, with a mean value of 5% (200 samples from 100 sites). There is ample evidence that biogeochemical processes are primarily linked to the sediment associated microbial communities that outnumber their suspended counterparts in terms of biomass and activity by 1-4 orders of magnitude. While groundwater fauna at many sites seem to live on plant derived organic matter and cannibalism, we also collected evidence for chemolithoautotrophic primary production fueling groundwater food webs. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers organic matter carbon flow aquifers oligotrophic groundwater food web Carbon cycling and food web interaction in groundwater ecosystems - key drivers and major limitations Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29283 2018-08-30 aca

CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal author Borges, Paulo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623 CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal author Lamelas-Lopez, Lucas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2230-7033 CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal author Nunes, Rui CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal author R. Amorim, Isabel https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6847-3320 CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal author Boieiro, Mário https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9087-091X CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal author Rego, Carla https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8005-4508 2018-08-30 2018-08-30 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29283 2018 funder Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia 10.13039/501100001871 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97218908a99166794.en 10.3897/bdj.4.e10274 10.2305/iucn.uk.2017-3.rlts.t97122456a99166579.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2017-3.rlts.t97120924a99166569.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2017-3.rlts.t97118594a99166559.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97122954a99166584.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97125072a99166594.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97124342a99166589.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97122215a99166574.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97120426a99166564.en 10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-1.rlts.t97217920a99166774.en 10.3897/aca.1.e29283 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29283/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29283/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29283/download/xml/ The Azorean endemic arthropod fauna includes seventeen species and subspecies adapted to the subterranean environment. Most of these species are known from single lava-tubes or volcanic pits (seven out of the 17 species) and only a few are widespread (namely Trechus terceiranus and Trechus picoensis). Moreover, many of the caves are under severe impact of the main economic activity on Azores, dairy–cattle production. Consequently, it is urgent to assess the conservation status of the Azorean endemic cave arthropod fauna. The aims of this contribution are twofold: present the results of the first IUCN red-list assessment of the conservation status of Azorean endemic cave adapted arthropods (e.g. Borges et al. 2016, Borges and Amorim 2017a, Borges and Amorim 2017b, Borges and Amorim 2017c, Boieiro et al. 2018, Borges and Amorim 2018a, Borges and Amorim 2018b, Borges and Amorim 2018c, Borges and Amorim 2018d, Borges and Amorim 2018e, Rego et al. 2018) and present an overview of the major threats involving the conservation of those species. The assessments of extinction risk were based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria and the most updated guidelines. Overall, 15 out of the 16 assessed species are threatened (CR+ EN + VU). The most diverse group, the ground-beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) include half of the assessed species and have five species considered as Critically Endangered (CR) (Thalassophilus azoricus, Trechus jorgensis, Trechus montanheirorum, Trechus oromii, Trechus pereirai). Most of the species have small extent of occurrence (EOO less than 12 km²) and reduced area of occupancy (AOO less than 12 km²). The main current threat to the species is the impact of agriculture activities. We suggest as future measures of conservation the regular monitoring of the species (every ten years) and fencing the entrances of the caves where human intrusion and disturbance has been occurring. The Azorean Government will publish legislation for the protection of the most important Azorean caves in 2018. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Azores cave species islands IUCN Arthropoda Portugal species conservation profiles rarity Red List of Azorean endemic cave adapted arthropods: an ecological and conservation overview Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29395 2018-08-31 aca

cE3c/GBA – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal FCAA-Uac – Faculty of Agrarian and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal author Gabriel, Rosalina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3550-8010 CE3C/NHS – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Natural History & Systematics, Lisboa, Portugal Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal author Sim-Sim, Manuela https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3467-6538 Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain author González-Mancebo, Juana Maria 2018-08-31 2018-08-31 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29395 2018 10.1007/s10584-016-1754-6 Rosalina Gabriel author Paulo A. V. Borges author 2010 A list of the terrestrial and marine fungi, flora and fauna from the Azores 978-989-8131-75-1 http://www.azoresbioportal.angra.uac.pt/files/publicacoes_Listagem_ml.pdf 2010 1 432 10.1080/03736687.2016.1156360 10.1038/srep29156 Luis Silva author 2008 Flora e Fauna TerrestreInvasoranaMacaronésia: TOP 100 nosAçores, Madeira e Canárias 978-989-95910-1-1 2008 1 546 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06203.x 10.3897/aca.1.e29395 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29395/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29395/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29395/download/xml/ Bryophytes, including mosses, liverworts and hornworts, are terrestrial plants, with a particular life cycle where the gametophyte is dominant over the sporophyte; many species are pokilohydric, meaning that they achieve a quick equilibrium between the cell water content and that of the environment, suspending their life, but not dying, in the absence of water. Due to their light spores, these plants have a great dispersal ability and may be found from the poles to the equator. In the Azores, there are almost 500 species (Gabriel et al. 2010), colonizing a large number of habitats and substrata, but forming particularly luxuriant communities inside native forests. Nevertheless, these forests are presently restricted to medium-high elevations (above 500 m) and below this altitude, adequate habitats for many bryophyte species are scarce (Henriques et al. 2016). Cave entrances, at different elevations, serve as surrogate habitats for bryophyte species, since they present an adequate relative humidity, fewer competitor species and are usually not disturbed by chemical products such as herbicides or pesticides. The aims of this work are twofold: present the results of the first IUCN red-list assessment of the conservation status of Azorean conservation concern bryophytes; and present an overview of the major threats involving the conservation of those species. The assessments of extinction risk were based on the most updated categories and criteria. Seven liverworts (Calypogeia azorica, Cheilolejeunea cedercreutzii, Fuscocephaloziopsis crassifolia, Leptoscyphus porphyrius subsp. azoricus, Lophocolea fragrans Plagiochila longispina and Radula holtii,) and seven mosses (Andoa berthelotiana, Echinodium renauldii, Heterocladium flaccidum, Hookeria lucens, Microcampylopus laevigatus, Rhynchostegiella trichophylla and Thamnobryum rudolphianum) benefit from populations at cave entrances, mostly the Azorean and Macaronesian endemic species. The three most common threats harming “cave” bryophytes include: climate change & severe weather, habitat change and degradation and invasive plant species of native forest. These threats are also documented in the literature (e.g. Patiño et al. 2016; Ferreira et al. 2016; Triantis et al. 2010 and Silva et al. 2008). Cave habitats are thus an important part of bryophyte conservation in the Azores, and should be both legally protected and monitored to the mutual benefit of species and habitat conservation. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers IUCN species conservation profiles rarity Mosses Liverworts Macaronesia (Azores Madeira Canary Islands) Conservation concern’ bryophytes find refuge on cave entrances in the Azores Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29397 2018-08-31 aca

Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Zepon, Tamires https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7356-8631 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 2018-08-31 2018-08-31 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29397 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29397 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29397/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29397/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29397/download/xml/ Studies about subterranean fauna in Latin America were intensified in the last decades. Many research are species description, but other knowledge areas have been studied, such as subterranean invertebrates communities. This study aims to characterize studies about these communities in Latin America countries. We made a bibliographic survey of published papers in scientific journals and bulletins of speleology groups, and different aspects were verified, like localities (country), publish date, number of sampled caves, use of tests and statistical analyzes and sample effort. Of the 20 Latin America countries, we not found those studies for ten (10) of them (Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, and Uruguay). We accessed a total of 164 published studies, of which the most was conducted in Brazil (69), followed by Mexico (52), Venezuela (17) and Cuba (11). In Brazil, most of studies was published in the last two decades (2000-2017), in Mexico in the 70’s, in Venezuela between 80’s and 2009 and in Cuba in 70’s and 90’s. Except for Brazil, where the most of studies explored the influence of biotic and abiotic factors in the communities, all countries published mainly faunistic inventories about only an unique cave or region. Thus, they do not present tests and statistical analysis and, sometimes, neither ecological discussion. Moreover, many publications do not have information about number of sample occasions and most of Brazilian studies did only one sample occasion. That makes it harder both the ecological approach that permits the verification of patterns that acts in the communities structuring and the comparison of data from different regions. Therefore, although the knowledge of subterranean invertebrates communities has increased, the Latin American has a huge potential to be explored in relation to areas with few or no studies, and to more consistent ecological studies. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Latin America cave biology Scenario Invertebrate Communities Characterization and perspectives on studies of subterranean invertebrate communities in Latin America Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29391 2018-09-04 aca

San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, United States of America author Gluesenkamp, Andrew BiodiversityCollections, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States of America author Hendrickson, Dean A. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-0295 Zara Environmental, LLC, Manchaca, United States of America author Sprouse, Peter 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29391 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29391 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29391/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29391/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29391/download/xml/ The endangered Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila, Carranza 1954) is one of only four described stygobitic ictalurid catfish in North America. Members of two monotypic genera (Satan eurystomus and Trogloglanis pattersoni) are known from the Edwards Aquifer in Texas and, until recently, Prietella (represented by P. lundbergi and P. phreatophila) was only known to occur in Mexico (northern Coahuila to southern Tamaulipas).  The recent discovery of P. phreatophila in a cave on the Amistad National Recreation Area in Val Verde County, Texas is the result of decades of sporadic effort on both sides of the US/Mexican border and has stimulated a renewed effort to investigate the distribution, ecology, evolutionary history, and conservation status of this species.  Collaborative efforts among The San Antonio Zoo, The University of Texas at Austin, Zara Environmental, and The National Park Service are currently focused on habitat surveys in Texas as well as captive husbandry and propagation.  Ongoing efforts with collaborators from the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Área de Protección de Recursos Naturales Sabinas and the Laboratorio de Genética para la Conservación, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz include expanded fieldwork in Mexico, hydrogeologic studies, and surveys using environmental DNA. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers ​conservation endangered species  endangered species Mexico Prietella The Mexican Blindcat Project: new discoveries and future efforts Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29513 2018-09-04 aca

Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Martinez, Alejandro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0073-3688 Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Fontaneto, Diego https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5770-0353 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29513 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29513 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29513/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29513/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29513/download/xml/ Subterranean aquatic systems are island-like habitats spread all over the world consisting of many caves linked by a common geological history but displaying different ecological parameters (e.g. distance to the sea, topography, depth). Therefore, they comprise numerous, discrete, and varied entities that facilitate independent colonization events by epigean biota, providing many replicates of comparable evolutionary processes. The data produced over the past 100 years of research collectively indicates that subterranean aquatic systems harbor a high percentage of local endemism and disharmonic animal communities when comparing them to surrounding epigean environments. However, it remains unclear whether those are general trends, or whether confounding effects such as sampling bias may produce misleading results. We investigate these two problems by analyzing a global dataset of ca. 50,000 records for ca. 4,000 species in 2,000 caves with two goals. We search for global correlates of diversity in cave aquatic animals by testing the effect of ecological and geological parameters on the number of species, species composition and functional diversity in each cave and subterranean system; We account for the influence of sampling intensity on the analyses by including the number of samples and number of published papers explicitly in the analyses. The highest species diversity was found in the Caribbean and Mediterranean basins: two areas with many caves covering a wide range of ecological conditions, as both basins include marine, anchialine and freshwater subterranean habitats. However, the number of papers per area explained a high proportion of the variation observed of our data, with a taxonomical bias favoring crustaceans. Our results indicate that sampling bias should be carefully considered when drawing conclusions from large-scale analyses, and that we still need further sampling, especially in groups different to crustaceans, to better understand the generality of the processes driving global patterns in subterranean biodiversity. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Global correlates of diversity in aquatic subterranean fauna Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29515 2018-09-04 aca

Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy author Manenti, Raoul https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6071-8194 Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy author Barzaghi, Benedetta Gruppo Speleologico Piemontese (Torino) and Gruppo Speleologico Alpi Marittime (Cuneo), Torino, Italy author Lana, Enrico University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy author Stocchino, Giacinta University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy author Manconi, Renata https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0544-4105 University of Trier, Trier, Germany author Lunghi, Enrico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4228-2750 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29515 2018 funder Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund 10.13039/501100004630 10.3897/aca.1.e29515 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29515/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29515/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29515/download/xml/ Despite being a fundamental source of biodiversity, several highly diverse taxa of aquatic invertebrates, including Platyhelminthes, remain still poorly known and poorly considered in protection programs. This is the case especially of several invertebrate species that inhabit groundwater. In this environment, invertebrates play significant roles that are strictly connected to the usefulness of these systems for human survival. The groundwater biodiversity of continental Italy is largely unknown and its importance neglected in national and regional legislation. One of the most poorly studied group of the Italian groundwater fauna are planarians. Most of the known species are endemic of small single karst areas or a single cave, with their distribution being never investigated after the original description. The aims of this study are to provide an update conservation status assessment of cave-dwelling planarians known from Italian Alps and Apennines. In particular, we want to analyze the major threats for their survival and the factors determining the possibility to contact and observe these important invertebrates for the subterranean systems. From October 2016 to September 2017, we explored the known localities of nine taxa and a relevant number of surrounding caves. Our results suggest that most of the cave-dwelling planarians species of continental Italy are threatened by water pollution and habitat destruction; moreover, our research underlines that there is a large conservation issue dealing with stenoendemic planarians that may involve other cave-dwelling invertebrates with narrow ranges. Generally, the underground habitat of most species appears to be deeply compromised and changed since species description. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Stenoendemic cave conservation invertebrate flatworm planarian Triclads undergund biodiversity pollution Preliminary conservation status assessment of cave-dwelling planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) of Italian Alps and Apennines. Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29462 2018-09-04 aca

Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China author Zhao, Yahui https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4615-596X San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, United States of America author Fenolio, Danté B. New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey, United States of America author Soares, Daphne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8161-0841 San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, United States of America author Gluesenkamp, Andrew The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, United States of America author Niemiller, Matthew L. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6353-8797 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 Louisiana State Unviersity, Baton Rouge, United States of America author Chakrabarty, Prosanta https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0565-0312 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29462 2018 funder National Natural Science Foundation of China 10.13039/501100001809 funder National Genealogical Society 10.13039/100009892 10.3897/aca.1.e29462 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29462/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29462/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29462/download/xml/ Cavefishes are a distinctive group of animals restricted to subterranean environments for at least for part of their lives. Their level of troglomorphism differentiates them into groups: stygobionts (troglomorphic) and stygophiles/stygoxenes (non-troglomorphic). China is home to the greatest diversity of cavefishes in the world, with more than 76 endemic stygobiotic species and an additional 70+ non-stygobiotic taxa. All but one species (Onychostoma macrolepis in northern China), are found in the southwest, primarily in the karst of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Sinocyclocheilus, the largest cavefish genus with 35 stygobiotic species, has undergone rapid evolution and diversification. Many species in this genus possess horns and humpbacks (i.e., horn-like structures and hyperdevelopment of a dorsal protuberance similar to a humpback), probably resulting from parallel evolution. Syntopy (inhabitation of the same cave system by multiple cavefishes) is common in China, and sometimes several stygobiotic species are found in the same cave pool or subterranean river. Caves and karst habitats are fragile environments, and cavefishes are extremely sensitive to environmental change. Threats from rapid economic growth in recent decades have increased the need for conservation efforts for cave-dwelling communities, and the conservation of Chinese cavefishes is an urgent issue, in particular. To this end, the Chinese Cavefish Working Group (CCWG) was created form a collaborative effort by researchers from China and the United States. The primary goal of the CCWG is to document the distribution and diversity of Chinese cavefishes, to gather information on their status and threats to wild populations and describe unknown aspects of their organismal biology. These data can be used to make sound conservation and management decisions. Research efforts are not limited to surveys and collection but also taxonomy, systematics, morphology, ecology, behavior, sensory neuroethology, evolution, population biology, and conservation science. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Cavefish Species diversity Distribution Conservation China Beauty underground: cavefishes in China Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29437 2018-09-04 aca

Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania author Moldovan, Oana Teodora https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1262-0675 Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Bucharest, Romania author Mirea, Ionut-Cornel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2970-6635 Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania author Kenesz, Marius 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29437 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29437 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29437/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29437/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29437/download/xml/ Carpathian Mountains were one of the main refuge areas during the climate changes of the Pleistocene and the Holocene in Europe and one of the richest regions in the world in subterranean (caves and associated habitats) endemic species. Nevertheless, the Carpathian Mountains subterranean fauna importance is underestimated especially due to dispersed information on its diversity and the scarcity of molecular studies in the area. Here, we present a first general view of the cave fauna hotspot represented by the Romanian Carpathians and the geological and historical processes that shaped the patterns of subterranean distribution and diversity at regional scale. The Carpathians are an amalgam of various geological units with complex paleogeographical evolution that is reflected in completely different species assemblages dominated by unit specific fauna groups. Phylogeography of Coleoptera and environmental parameters are adding to the general view at regional scale and offer additional explanation for this exceptional subterranean diversification in a non-Mediterranean region. We also use the example of the Carpathians cave fauna as proxy for past environmental changes in the area. Troglobionts are endemic on small areas and by studying their present distributions and phylogeny, past processes of landscape evolution on the surface can be better understood.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Can the subterranean fauna be used as proxy for past environmental changes? – the example of the Carpathians cave fauna Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29414 2018-09-04 aca

Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands author Njunjić, Iva https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5723-4068 Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands author Hendriks, Kasper https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0245-8368 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands author Schilthuizen, Menno https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6229-0347 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands author Merckx, Vincent IUT Paris Diderot, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France author Perreau, Michel https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6124-9334 Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France author Deharveng, Louis 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29414 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29414 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29414/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29414/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29414/download/xml/ The genus Anthroherpon Reitter, 1889 is the most species-rich genus of the exclusively subterranean subtribe Anthroherponina. It comprises 26 species and 55 subspecies distributed in the Dinaric mountains which are known to be a world biodiversity hotspot for subterranean fauna. Most species are short-range endemics and more than half of the species are known only from a single cave, but the genus as a whole has a wide range. This study provides a comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the Anthroherpon radiation, using a dated molecular tree as a framework for understanding the diversification of the genus and reconstructing its ancestral range. We reconstructed the phylogeny of Anthroherpon using Bayesian analysis of six loci, both mitochondrial and nuclear, and we inferred the ancestral range of the genus using BioGeoBEARS. Our main findings show that Anthroherpon is monophyletic and started to diverge approximately in the Early Miocene (ca. 22 MYA). The genus has diversified entirely underground. Our results show that troglobitic lineages like Anthroherpon can disperse and diversify underground over a large geographic area during long periods of time. Biogeographic reconstruction of the ancestral range shows the origin of the genus in the area comprising three high mountains in western Montenegro: Dobreljica, Moračke planine, and Orjen. From this area the presumed ancestor dispersed to the other parts of its present range. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Radiation and ancestral range reconstruction of the cave beetle genus Anthroherpon (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Leptodirini) Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29273 2018-09-05 aca

Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen OE, Denmark author Enghoff, Henrik https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2764-8750 2018-09-05 2018-09-05 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29273 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29273 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29273/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29273/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29273/download/xml/ Millipedes (class Diplopoda) are a large group of arthropods mostly living in the soil. More than 10,000 species have been described, but this is surely just a mere fraction of the actually existing number of living species. Many lineages of millipedes have invaded caves and other subterranean habitats, not the least in southern Europe. In spite of their many legs, millipedes are in general poor dispersers, and their present-day distributions often reflect very old biogeographical patterns. The monotypic genus Cantabrodesmus Mauriès, 1971, of uncertain family placement and only known from a few caves in N Spain, is an extreme example of this. The genus Thalassisobates Verhoeff, 1908, provides an example of “ecological disjunction”: One species is truly littoral and occurs along the coasts of Europe and eastern N America, whereas the two other species of the genus were collected in a cave in S Spain and in MSS on the island of La Gomera, Canary Islands, respectively, in both cases more than 500 m above sea level. Similar ecological disjunctions (littoral/subterranean) are known from pseudoscorpions (genus Paraliochthonius Beier, 1956) and isopods (genera Halophiloscia Verhoeff, 1908, and Littorophiloscia Hatch, 1947). Subterranean millipedes often exhibit classical troglomorphisms, but there are also some not-so-classical adaptations, such as modification of the mouthparts for a semiaquatic/hygropetric mode of life. Such modifications have apparently arisen at least seven times independently in unrelated lineages belonging to four millipede families. Millipedes are often hosts to epibiotic fungi of the order Laboulbeniales. Available evidence, although scant, suggests a difference between cave and epigean millipedes in the distribution patterns of the fungi on the hosts: Laboulbeniales on epigean millipedes tend to grow on body parts which come into contact during copulation, whereas those on cave millipedes tend to be scattered along the millipede body, suggesting transfer via the substrate. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Subterranean millipedes, some patterns and adaptations Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29514 2018-09-11 aca

Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Martinez, Alejandro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0073-3688 Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Anicic, Nikoleta Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Calvaruso, Salvatore Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain author Sanchez, Nuria Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Puppieni, Laura Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Sforzi, Tommaso Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Zaupa, Silvia Colección Nacional de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City D.F, Mexico author Alvarez, Fernando Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America author Brankovits, Dávid https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9195-8115 Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway author Gąsiorowski, Ludwik Hellenic Center for Marine Recearch (HCMR), Heraklion, Greece author Gerovasileiou, Vasilis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9143-7480 Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America author Gonzalez, Brett Western Australian Museum, Perth, Australia Western Australian Museum, Welshpool WA 6106, Australia author Humphreys, William Frank Texas A&M University, Galveston, TX, United States of America author Illife, Thomas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4342-5960 Marine Biology Section, University of Copenhagen, Copehangen, Denmark author Worsaae, Katrine WorldFish Center, Los Baños, Philippines author Bailly, Nicolas Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania Pallanza, Italy author Fontaneto, Diego https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5770-0353 2018-09-11 2018-09-11 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29514 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29514 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29514/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29514/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29514/download/xml/ The potential of subterranean environments as models to address major evolutionary and ecological questions has been highlighted in the literature. They represent partially isolated, discrete units offering several replicates of the same evolutionary processes. Species occurrence data of these environments is abundant, although sparse in the literature or gathered in databases established according to regional, taxonomical, or ecological criteria. We here present a newly assembled dataset consisting of records of aquatic animals in all types of caves or wells from all over the world. Literature sources were gathered from Google Scholar by independently searching for each metazoan phylum/arthropod order, as well as the key words “cave”, “groundwater”, “well”, or “stygobite”, in English, Galician, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalonian, French, Italian, Hungarian, Greek, German, Polish, Russian, and Serbo-Croatian. The relevance of each source was confirmed after checking the title and the abstract. For each selected source, we examined its reference list in order to identify studies that were not published in journals indexed in the databases we searched. From the 6852 selected references, we manually extracted all records that concerned either occurrence of a species in a given geographical area or occurrence of any taxon in a particular cave or well. Records were classified as primary or secondary, depending on whether they provided new information or referred to already publish records, allowing us to identify redundant information in posterior analyses. Information for each access point was organized in as a gazetteer, including synonym names, geographical, ecological, and geological information. Following this strategy, we have obtained 48,800 records (32,769, primary) from 1957 references checked so far. Most records are amongst fish and crustaceans. In contrast, few data exist for other groups that are comparatively diverse outside caves, such as Nematoda. Relevant information will be included in World Register of Marine Cave Species (Fig. 1). text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers A new insight into the Stygofauna Mundi: assembling a global dataset for aquatic fauna in subterranean environments Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29605 2018-09-11 aca

Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia Western Australian Museum, Perth, Australia author Perina, Giulia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0349-3803 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain author Camacho, Ana Isabel https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0596-7678 Western Australian Museum, Perth, Australia author Huey, Joel Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia author Koenders, Annette Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia author Horwitz, Pierre 2018-09-11 2018-09-11 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29605 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29605 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29605/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29605/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29605/download/xml/ It seems obvious to say that research can provide benefits to multiple stakeholders and that stakeholder involvement is more often than not essential for research to proceed. Concrete examples of these mutual dependencies are valuable, where industry, government agencies and biological studies increase each others’ potential and efficiencies. In the past 20 years the number of subterranean taxa discovered in Australia, especially in the Pilbara bioregion, has increased consistently thanks to environmental and biological surveys, often associated with mining development, but the investment on research needed to understand this vast biodiversity is far from what is required. The family Bathynellidae (Crustacea) occur in most Australian aquifers, but collecting them is not simple and their study and identification are very difficult due to their small and fragile bodies and their conservative morphology. Additionally, the poor and incomplete description of the type genus and species of this family (Bathynella natans Vejdovsky, 1882) have led to the assignment of many species occurring around the world, including Australia, to this genus. The taxonomic framework is therefore not well defined and their biodiversity and distribution assessments needed by government agencies become challenging. This research started with a collaboration with different environmental consultants who provided a conspicuous number of specimens collected through several years, which allowed an accurate analysis of specific aquifers. Studies of Bathynellidae populations occurring in different areas produced results useful to inform mining companies on species distribution and groundwater connectivity, underling the importance of cooperation among stakeholders. Morphological and molecular data reveal new genera and species with fascinating relationships, and the collection of some fresh material from type localities belonging to Bathynella clarifies the position of this “cosmopolitan” genus. This example demonstrates (again) the value of research as both underpinning, and supplementing, existing knowledge to improve the management and monitoring of the delicate subterranean environment and its resources. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Crustacea Bathynellidae Pilbara stygofauna Environmental Protection Western Australia Research and stakeholders: Bathynellidae (Bathynellacea, Crustacea) case studies in mining areas. New genera from Australia and the enigma of the “cosmopolitan” Bathynella genus Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29581 2018-09-11 aca

University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Dejanaz, Andrea University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Mammola, Stefano https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4471-9055 University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Isaia, Marco https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5434-2127 2018-09-11 2018-09-11 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29581 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29581 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29581/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29581/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29581/download/xml/ In light of the reduced diversity and abundance of species, subterranean habitats represent ideal models systems in which to investigate characters displacement in species sharing the same habitat. In order to minimize direct competition, it is expected that sibling species occupying the same subterranean habitat should differentiate their morphological niche. Conversely, geographically vicariant species occupying similar microhabitats should display a convergent morphology. We tested these hypotheses by studying character displacement in different species of Troglohyphantes Joseph, 1881 spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae) in the Western Italian Alps. These spiders underwent a remarkable radiations in subterranean habitats, with numerous stenoendemic elements showing different degrees of subterranean adaptation. For each considered species, we examined 10 to 15 females specimens for a number of morphological characters related to body size, degree of subterranean adaptation (eyes development, flattening of the cephalotorax and leg elongation) and trophic specialization (chelicera and fang length). These traits were combined in a multidimensional space in order to describe the geometry of the n-dimensional Hutchinsonian hypervolume representing the morphological niche of each species. Once the hypervolumes were constructed, pairwise similarity among each species niche was calculated using different overlap indexes. We found that the niche hypervolume of all Troglohyphantes species had a comparable size. However, the distance among niche centroids was lower for species with similar subterranean adaptation and significantly higher in coexisting species. Furthermore, when found in the same cave, species with similar degree of adaptation showed a limited niche overlap. Overall, our results highlight the key role of competition in shaping morphology when competing species are present. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Niche differentiation functional traits Araneae Huntchisonian hypervolume Exploring the morphospace in subterranean spiders Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29583 2018-09-11 aca

University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Mammola, Stefano https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4471-9055 University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Piano, Elena University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Jones, Alexandra University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Dejanaz, Andrea University of Torino, Torino, Italy author Isaia, Marco https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5434-2127 2018-09-11 2018-09-11 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29583 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29583 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29583/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29583/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29583/download/xml/ Subterranean ecosystems offer intriguing opportunities to study mechanisms underlying responses to changes in climate because species within them are often adapted to largely constant temperatures. However, responses of specialized subterranean species to anthropogenic climate warming are still largely undiscussed. We combined physiological tests, species distribution models and genetic data to investigate the potential effect of raising temperatures on subterranean coenosis. We used spiders of the genus Troglohyphantes Joseph, 1881 (Araneae: Linyphiidae) as model organisms, focusing on a coherent biogeographic area of the Western Alps in which the distribution of these spiders has been well documented. Thermal tolerance experiments in climatic chambers pointed at a reduced physiological tolerance to temperature fluctuations at increasing levels of troglomorphism. This result suggests that, during their subterranean evolution, spiders have progressively fine-tuned thermal tolerance to the constant and narrow temperature ranges of their habitats. Further evidence of the sensitivity of our model species to temperature increase derives from species distribution models projected onto different climate change scenarios. Model projections point toward a future decline in habitat suitability for subterranean spiders. Moreover, genetic data at the population/species interface are suggestive of limited gene flow between subterranean populations, testifying reduced dispersal capacity and habitat connectivity. In light of these results, we predict the potential extinction of the most restricted endemic species. Our findings therefore emphasize the importance of considering subterranean organisms as model species for ecological studies dealing with climatic changes, and to extend such investigations to other subterranean systems worldwide. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Global Warming Subterranean Biology Thermal niche On climate change and subterranean spiders Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29582 2018-09-11 aca

Auburn University, Auburn, United States of America author Stephen, Charles https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6204-2674 The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, United States of America author Niemiller, Matthew L. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6353-8797 University of California, Davis, Davis, United States of America author Bond, Jason 2018-09-11 2018-09-11 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29582 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29582 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29582/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29582/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29582/download/xml/ The pseudoscorpion genus Hesperochernes presently includes 19 species, 17 of which are endemic to North America. On this continent, most species in the genus have been found in association with bats or rodents, and six species are known exclusively from subterranean habitats. Three species are distributed south of the Great Lakes in the eastern part of the mainland continent: H. holsingeri, H. mirabilis, and H. occidentalis. All three have only been collected from karst caves. Hesperochernes holsingeri is presumed to be endemic to one cave in southern Indiana in the Interior Low Plateau karst region. Specimens attributed to H. mirabilis are widely distributed across all karst regions east of the Mississippi River, excluding the Florida Lime Sink. Specimens identified as H. occidentalis are restricted to west of the Mississippi River, where they are broadly distributed in the Ozarks karst region. These three species were defined from morphological characters that have since been speculated to suffer from a high degree of variation among populations. This ambiguity has effectively rendered unreliable any species-level determinations of Hesperochernes from caves in eastern North America. Additionally, previous authors have noted that there exists high potential for undescribed diversity within this geographic distribution of the genus. The present study seeks to disentangle relationships within Hesperochernes from subterranean populations in eastern North America. Within this region, we collected 95 samples of Hesperochernes and nine samples of outgroup pseudoscorpions from 53 caves located in the Appalachians, Ozarks, and Interior Low Plateau karst regions. The 3RAD restriction-associated digest (RADseq) method was used to sample thousands of loci from across the whole genome. Population genetics, species delimitation, phylogeographic, and morphological analyses are presented that will inform a taxonomic revision of this remarkably successful, exclusively hypogean species complex of pseudoscorpions. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Pseudoscorpiones RADseq subterranean Unraveling the eastern North American Hesperochernes (Pseudoscorpiones, Chernetidae) species complex Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29629 2018-09-11 aca

National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America author Yager, Jill https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9558-2124 2018-09-11 2018-09-11 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29629 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29629 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29629/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29629/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29629/download/xml/ This presentation will be a very general look at the exciting history of the crustacean class Remipedia, from discovering them in a water-filled cave in the Bahamas in 1979 to today. I will begin with an introduction to the beautiful remipede cave habitat. We will explore where these fascinating animals live and what other cave crustaceans inhabit their community. I will review remipede research since publishing their description in the first volume of the Journal of Crustacean Biology in 1981 through 37 years of research. Several interesting remipede species will be highlighted for their unusual morphology.  In closing I will propose questions to encourage future research with these interesting crustaceans. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers The remarkable remipedes Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29777 2018-09-18 aca

Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia author Hose, Grant Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia author Korbel, Kathryn Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia author Chariton, Anthony 2018-09-18 2018-09-18 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29777 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29777 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29777/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29777/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29777/download/xml/ The removal of groundwater results in the lowering of water tables, which, for groundwater organisms, translates to reduced habitat availability and changed environmental conditions in the habitat that remains. While changes in groundwater levels may be well modelled and predicted, the impacts on groundwater ecosystems remain poorly known. There are three key processes associated with groundwater drawdown in shallow alluvial aquifers that may threaten groundwater ecosystems. These processes are 1. the physical decline of water levels, from which fauna can be stranded in isolated or unsaturated sediments; 2. the loss of or change to habitat, particularly as water levels move through different geological strata and 3. changes in hydrological connectivity, that may influence water quality as a result of increasing distance or disconnection from the surface and other water sources. Results from laboratory studies show the variable capacity for stygobiotic invertebrates to move with declining water tables, dependent on both drawdown rate and sediment attributes. Once isolated in unsaturated habitats, our tests show that survival of fauna is limited beyond 48 h. Invertebrates are constrained by sediment size and unable to use those with relatively small pore spaces and may not be able to use all available saturated habitats.  This talk will present a framework that identifies the key threats of groundwater drawdown to groundwater ecosystems and will highlight the current state of knowledge of each of these threatening processes. We present the results of empirical studies on the response of stygobiotic invertebrates to specific elements of the framework. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers What happens to groundwater ecosystems when you take out the groundwater? Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29830 2018-09-18 aca

South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Cooper, Steven https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7843-8438 The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Langille, Barbara The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Hyde, Josephine Western Australian Museum, Welshpool WA 6106, Australia author Humphreys, William Frank The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Austin, Andrew 2018-09-18 2018-09-18 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29830 2018 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04759.x 10.3897/aca.1.e29830 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29830/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29830/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29830/download/xml/ Phylogeographic studies have provided evidence for speciation underground within the confines of a cave environment, questioning the assumption that cave animals evolved from surface ancestors (Juan et al. 2010). However, for many of these studies, it is difficult to rule out the possibility that phylogeographic patterns may have resulted from multiple colonisation events from the same ancestral surface species, introgressive hybridisation among related species, and/or the extinction of surface ancestral lineages. Such is the case for the subterranean diving beetle species (Dytiscidae) of the groundwater calcrete archipelago of central Western Australia, where more than 100 species have been described that appear to have evolved by a combination of ecological/allopatric speciation and in some cases possibly sympatric speciation. We have further explored these speciation theories by phylogeographic analyses of nuclear gene data (WG, TOPO, ARK, Cn) from 86 species in the genera Limbodessus and Paroster, including analyses of genes involved in photoreception for select Paroster taxa. Analyses provide further support for the presence of sympatric sister species, thus, rejecting the hypothesis that previous phylogeographic patterns, based on mitochondrial DNA, resulted from introgressive hybridisation. Our analyses also uncovered deleterious frameshift and stop mutations in a long wavelength opsin gene that mapped to the common ancestor of a sympatric sister triplet of stygobiont species, providing strong evidence that this ancestor was already adapted to living underground and that the species triplet evolved within the confines of a single groundwater calcrete. Our analyses show that while the majority (~75%) of these stygobiont beetle species evolved from surface ancestors, a significant number diversified underground through a process of either sympatric or parapatric speciation. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers speciation subterranean dytiscid beetles calcrete aquifer opsin gene evolution Speciation underground in desert aquifers or just another case of hybridisation by blind beetles? Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29834 2018-09-18 aca

University of Trier, Trier, Germany author Lunghi, Enrico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4228-2750 Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy author Manenti, Raoul CEAS, Sinisco, Italy author Mulargia, Manuela University of Trier, Trier, Germany author Veith, Michael Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze, sezione "La Specola", Firenze, Italy author Corti, Claudia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6015-0092 Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy author Ficetola, Francesco Gentile https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3414-5155 2018-09-18 2018-09-18 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29834 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29834 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29834/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29834/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29834/download/xml/ Species can show a strong variation of local abundance across their ranges. Recent analyses suggested that variation in abundance can be related to environmental suitability, as the highest abundances are often observed in populations living in the most suitable areas. However, there is limited information on the mechanisms through which variation in environmental suitability determines abundance. We analyzed populations of the microendemic Monte Albo cave salamander Hydromantes (Speleomantes) flavus Stefani, 1969 (Plethodontidae), and tested several hypotheses on potential relationships linking environmental suitability to population parameters. For multiple populations across the whole species range, we assessed suitability using species distribution models and measured density, activity level, food intake, and body condition index. In high-suitability sites, the density of salamanders was up to 30 times higher than in the least suitable ones. Variation in activity levels and population performance can explain such variation of abundance. In high-suitability sites, salamanders were active close to the surface and showed a low frequency of empty stomachs. Furthermore, when taking into account seasonal variation, body condition was better in the most suitable sites. Our results show that the strong relationship between environmental suitability and population abundance can be mediated by the variation of parameters strongly linked to individual performance and fitness. Furthermore, we highlighted the potential use of cave animals as model species to answer macroecological questions. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Biospeleology modelling environmental suitability body condition Sardinia amphibia Which processes are behind the relationship between species abundance and environmental suitability? Monte Albo cave salamander as model species Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29836 2018-09-18 aca

Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Crete, Greece author Paragamian, Kaloust https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7372-733X Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Crete, Greece author Paragkamian, Savvas 2018-09-18 2018-09-18 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29836 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29836 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29836/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29836/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29836/download/xml/ Located in the southernmost of the Aegean Sea, Crete is the largest of the Greek islands covering an area of 8,261 km2. The first records on the cave fauna of Crete were published in 1869 and since then a total of 175 publications have been gradually increased our knowledge on the cave-dwelling species of the island. Crete is currently the best-studied Region of Greece regarding biospeleology. Although it covers only 6.3% of the national area, the faunistically investigated caves represent 35% of the investigated caves of Greece while the recorded cave fauna includes 30% of the cavernicolous species of Greece. In total, 250 species belonging to 166 genera, 83 families, 36 orders, 13 classes, and 5 phyla, have been recorded from 158 caves.  The most diverse groups are Araneae (64 species), Isopoda (29 species), Gastropoda, Copepoda, and Coleoptera (21 species each), Pseudoscorpiones (17 species) and Chiroptera (15 species). Among the invertebrate species, 102 are endemic to Greece of which 92 are Cretan endemics. The obligate cavernicolous fauna includes 42 species, most of them in Isopoda (13), Araneae (11) and Pseudoscorpiones (11). Only 3 species are distributed outside Greece, the isopods Libanonethes probosciferus Vandel, 1955 and Trichonethes kosswigi Strouhal, 1953. The cave habitats and the cave fauna of Greece are quite neglected in Greece’s environmental legislation and policy. Furthermore, there is an implementation gap in the environmental law. In Crete, 62 out of the previously mentioned 158 caves happened to be situated within protected areas (wildlife refuges and/or Natura 2000 sites). With the exception of the bat species, no other cave associated species is protected by specific law. Further efforts are also needed to assess the conservation status of most of the species. Out of 250 species only 35 have been assessed for IUCN Red List and 51 for Greece’s Red Data Book. Most of them are bats, gastropods and isopods. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Cave fauna biodiversity conservation protection Diversity and conservation of the cave fauna of Crete (Greece) Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29877 2018-09-19 aca

Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America author Katz, Aron https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7810-9773 Colorado College, Colorado Springs, United States of America Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, United States of America author Taylor, Steven https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3020-5205 Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, United States of America author Davis, Mark https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9034-9430 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29877 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29877 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29877/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29877/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29877/download/xml/ Genetic isolation and biological diversification in caves is generally attributed to physical barriers to gene flow, but few studies have evaluated the influence ecology has on patterns of divergence and molecular variation in cave organisms. Collembola (springtails)—a class of tiny, insect-like arthropods—constitute an under-utilized and information-rich source of data for inferring evolutionary processes in cave environments. They are among the most abundant and diverse animals in caves with species that are often codistributed and have varying levels of ecological specificity to, or dependence upon, cave habitats—differences that may affect dispersal capacity and genetic connectivity. This is the first study to characterize and compare patterns of molecular diversity and genetic structure among ecologically distinct and codistributed species of cavernicolous springtails. Twenty-five caves were sampled throughout the Salem Plateau in Illinois and Missouri—a once continuous karst region, now bisected by the Mississippi River Valley. Multilocus datasets generated for morphospecies in the genera Pygmarrhopalites and Pogonognathellus were used to delimit species, identify genetic barriers, and evaluate and compare phylogeographical patterns between troglobiotic and eutroglophilic species to assess whether two codistributed cave-dwelling species have congruent phylogeographical patterns across a complex geological landscape, despite having distinct ecologies. Populations of troglobiotic Pygmarrhopalites sp. were strongly structured among karst areas and across the Mississippi River valley, but these patterns were not recovered for eutroglophilic Pogonognathellus sp., which displayed little to no genetic structure, except among caves. Results indicate that cave-dependence is associated with deep phylogeographic divisions across geographical barriers—supporting the hypothesis that ecological specialization to cave habitats is correlated with low dispersal capacity. The recovery of highly divergent and cryptic lineages, genetically isolated at fine geographic scales (microendemism), also highlights how little we understand microarthropod diversity in caves and presents major concerns for cave conservation biology. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Comparative phylogeography of two cavernicolous springtails (Collembola) codistributed across a geologically complex karst landscape Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29843 2018-09-19 aca

Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Crete, Greece author Paragamian, Kaloust https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7372-733X Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Crete, Greece author Poulinakis, Manoussos Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Crete, Greece author Paragkamian, Savvas Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Crete, Greece author Nikoloudakis, Ioannis 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29843 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29843 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29843/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29843/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29843/download/xml/ Within the framework of the project “Conservation of the Cave Fauna of Greece”, the Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research developed the Cave Fauna of Greece (CFG) Database (https://database.inspee.gr/, Fig. 1), a free online data infrastructure that provides reliable information on the taxonomy, distribution, conservation status and referenced literature for all cavernicolous animal species in Greece. Furthermore, it provides information on geography, protection status and the fauna of each cave, as well as the referenced literature. The database was compiled after gathering, critically evaluating and integrating all taxonomic and faunistic information for species recorded in the caves of Greece. It includes all species recorded up to date and currently regarded as valid. The taxonomic reference system is harmonized with the Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure (PESI, EU-nomen). Considerable effort was also made to find the locations of the caves and to solve problems of synonymies, misspellings, etc. CFG database is a comprehensive, dynamic and digitally-available reference for several user-groups: research scientists, policy and decision-makers, nature conservation community, the education community, and citizen scientists. It was developed and launched to serve as a basic tool for research and conservation policies of cave species and caves in Greece. Currently, it hosts 2,567 records of 843 valid species in 465 caves, 763 literature references for species and more than 440 cave descriptions references. The user can navigate through 3 themes: fauna, caves, and references. A species can be found either by searching the name (or part of it) or by browsing through the taxonomic hierarchy to look for names of organisms within a group. A cave can be found either by searching the name/synonym (or part of it) or by browsing through the administrative hierarchy. Navigation from species to caves and vice versa can be performed through the names of species and caves. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Cave fauna database Greece open data A comprehensive database for the cave fauna of Greece Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29845 2018-09-19 aca

University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom author Hesselberg, Thomas 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29845 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29845 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29845/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29845/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29845/download/xml/ Given the low abundance of flying insects in subterranean habitats, it is surprising that troglophile orb spiders in the genus Meta (family Tetragnathidae) are relatively abundant in subterranean habitats, especially in the twilight zone of European caves. As is the case for most subterranean invertebrates, we know very little about their behaviour. However, they have been reported to possess a number of specific behavioural adaptations to the cave environment. These include modifications of the traditional orb web such that webs do not have frame and anchor threads, but instead have the radii (the spokes in the web) attaching directly to the cave walls, and that cave spiders, unlike epigean orb spiders, allegedly engage in off-web foraging as well as on-web foraging. Here I review the evidence for these claims and compare these to the behaviour of epigean spiders in the related Metellina genus including preliminary comparative data on both morphology and web characteristics. In addition, I will discuss the potential of using the cave Meta spiders, especially M. menardi and M. bourneti, as model organisms for studying search behaviour, mate finding behaviour and sexual selection, as these spiders show an interesting life cycle with young instars leaving the cave environment to spend an instar in the epigean environment before returning. It is currently not known how spiderlings locate subterranean habitats, how males find female webs or whether the level of sexual selection is lower in the resource-limited subterranean habitat compared to the epigean habitat. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers cave spider orb web Tetragnathidae behavioural flexibility off-web foraging Behavioural adaptations of cave orb spiders Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29861 2018-09-19 aca

Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Paula, Caio Cesar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4306-9839 Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Seleghim, Mirna Helena 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29861 2018 funder Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 10.13039/501100001807 10.3897/aca.1.e29861 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29861/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29861/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29861/download/xml/ Trophic gradient (dissolved organic carbon (DOC); total nitrogen (TN)) and carbon and nitrogen of microbial biomass (MBC and MBN) were analyzed in Russão II cave (Brazil - 14º05'05.3"S 46º23'07.1"W). Two areas inside of the cave (Twilght Zone – TZ; Dark Zone –DZ) and one in surface (Epigean – Epg) were sampling. Microbial assimilation was evaluated by microbial quotient (MBC/DOC = qMic) and C/N microbial biomass ratio. Student’s t test was applied to verify significant difference data. There was a significant difference in DOC, TN and MBC in the three areas. The DOC ranged from 74.25 to 165.27 g kg-1, while TN ranged from 0.10 to 0.15 g kg-1. The highest DOC values were observed in Epg followed by TZ and DZ areas, respectively, evidencing a trophic gradient. DZ area showed the highest TN values, probably due to guano accumulation inside the cave. The most abundant element in guano is nitrogen (about 12%).  Higher MBC values in Epg (812.63 mg Kg-1) and MBN values in DZ (83.25 mg Kg-1) were observed. However, there was not a significant difference in relation to MBN at the studied areas. The qMic and C/N were lower in DZ area. Vegetation presence all year in Epg influences the yield and quality of litter, thereby contributing to higher MBC levels. Microbial biomass is an important source of organic nitrogen which has been demonstrated by small variation among MBN and TN. qMic reflects the relation between microbial and organic carbon, suggesting a lower immobilization of DOC in microbial biomass and a higher rate of carbon mineralization. A lower immobilization rate of MBC in relation to MBN is also evidenced by the lower C/N. Microbial biomass is an important pool of organic nitrogen considering this lower ratio between C / N biomass and the largest amount of MBN inside the cave. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Microbial biomass has a key role in immobilization of organic nitrogen in Russão II cave (Goiás, Brazil). Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29867 2018-09-19 aca

University of Maryland, Maryland, United States of America author Jeffery, William 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29867 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29867 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29867/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29867/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29867/download/xml/ The role of maternal factors in the evolution of development is poorly understood. Here we describe the use of reciprocal hybridization between the surface dwelling (surface fish, SF) and cave dwelling (cavefish, CF) morphs of the teleost Astyanax mexicanus to determine investigate the roles of maternal genetic effects in cavefish development. Reciprocal hybridization, a procedure in which F1 hybrids are generated by fertilizing SF eggs with CF sperm (SF X CF hybrids) and CF eggs with SF sperm (CF X SF hybrids), revealed that the CF degenerative eye phenotype showed maternal genetic effects. The eyes of CF X SF hybrids resembled the degenerate eyes of CF in showing ventral reduction of the retina and corresponding displacement of the lens within the optic cup, a smaller lens and eyeball, more lens apoptosis, a smaller cartilaginous sclera, and lens-specific gene expression characteristics compared to SF X CF hybrids, which showed eye and lens gene expression phenotypes resembling SF. In contrast, reciprocal hybridization failed to support any roles for maternal genetic effects in the CF regressive pigmentation phenotype or in CF constructive changes related to enhanced jaw development. The Astyanax orthologs of mMaternal transcripts encoded by some of thethe pou2f1b, runx2b, and axin1 genes, which are  key involved in determining ventral embryonic fates, genes involved in zebrafish dorsoventral patterning were increased in unfertilized CF eggs. In contrast, maternal mRNAs encoded by the ß-catenin and syntabulin genes, which control dorsal embryonic fates, were unchangedwith theshowed similar expression levels in unfertilized SF and CF eggs. This study reveals that CF eye degeneration is controlled by changes in maternal factors produced during oogenesis and introduces A. mexicanus as a model system for studying the role of maternal changes in the evolution of development. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Astyanax mexicanus cavefish maternal genetic effects optic regression dorsoventralization dorsoventralventral pattern formation evolution of development Maternal Genetic Effects in Astyanax Cavefish Development  Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29869 2018-09-19 aca

Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain author Pallarés, Susana https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8677-7475 Instituto de Biología Evolutiva, Barcelona, Spain author Ribera, Ignacio Cuevas de Oñati-Arrikrutz, Oñati (Guipuzcoa), Spain author Montes, Aitor University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain author Millán, Andrés Unaffiliated, Roma, Italy author Rizzo, Valeria Unaffiliated, Barcelona, Spain author Comas, Jordi Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain author Sánchez-Fernández, David https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1766-0761 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29869 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29869 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29869/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29869/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29869/download/xml/ Thermal tolerance is a key vulnerability factor for species that cannot cope with changing conditions by behavioural adjustments or dispersal, such as subterranean species. Previous studies of thermal tolerance in cave beetles suggest that these species may have lost some of the thermoregulatory mechanisms common in temperate insects, and appear to have a very limited thermal acclimation ability. However, it might be expected that both thermal tolerance and acclimation ability should be related with the degree of specialization to deep subterranean environments, being more limited in highly specialized species. To test this hypothesis, we use an experimental approach to determine the acclimation capacity of cave beetles within the tribe Leptodirini (family Leiodidae) with different degrees of specialization to the deep subterranean environment. For this, we acclimate groups of individuals at a temperature close to their upper thermal limit (20ºC) or a control temperature (approximately that of the cave in which they were found) for 2 or 10 days (short- vs. long-term acclimation). Upper thermal limits (heat coma temperature, HC) are then measured for each individual using a ramping protocol (rate of increase of 1ºC/min) combined with infrared thermography and video recording. Preliminary results in a deep subterranean species (Speonomidius crotchi, with an intermediate degree of specialization) showed no significant effect of acclimation temperature in HC at any of the exposure times. Such reduced thermal plasticity could be also expected for other highly specialized subterranean species. The potential implications of these findings for subterranean biodiversity in a climate change context are discussed. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Limited thermal acclimation capacity in cave beetles Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29870 2018-09-19 aca

Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania author Moldovan, Oana Teodora https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1262-0675 Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic author Miko, Ladislav Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania author Kenesz, Marius Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Bucharest, Romania author Constantin, Silviu 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29870 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29870 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29870/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29870/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29870/download/xml/ The Zăton Lake is a closed depressionlocated in the Ponoarele karst area (south-western Romania) formed along a tectonic-erosional window as a NE-SW corridor (250–450 m a.s.l.). In this area Mesozoic sedimentary rocks outcrop, along with the metamorphic basement of the Danubian Domain of the Southern Carpathians. The entire river basin is drained underground through the caves of Zăton (105 m in lenght) and Bulba (5 km long, developed on three levels). Flooding of the lake is temporary, during periods with high precipitation or the spring snow melting. A total of 34 samples were taken from one sedimentary section of the Zăton Lake and the diversity and abundance of fossil mites was assessed at different depths of the sediments. OSL (optical stimulated luminescence) datings and fossil mites’ determination were correlated with sediments geochemistry and rock magnetic properties and record the changes in temperature and vegetation in the area from present day to more than 2000 years ago.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers The paleoenvironmental reconstruction using fossil invertebrates of Zăton Lake (south-western Romania) Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29874 2018-09-19 aca

The Nature Conservancy, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America author Slay, Michael E. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3976-9127 Department of Biology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai’i, United States of America author Porter, Megan The Sustainability Consortium, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America author Slay, Christy University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America author Summers Engel, Annette https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-744X 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29874 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29874 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29874/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29874/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29874/download/xml/ The discovery of troglobionts in lava tube caves on the Hawaiian Islands archipelago altered our understanding of how species may evolve and permanently inhabit subterranean environments. To date, 74 troglobionts are reported from the islands with 44 known from the youngest (Big Island). Previous lava tube cave surveys on the Big Island have focused on the wetter, eastern side of the island and in lava tubes at higher elevations. Along with members of Cave Conservancy of Hawai’i, we surveyed 24 lava tube sections on the drier, western side of the Big Island, primarily in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates in the Ka’ū District. Surveys occurred during late November and early December of 2015–2017. Species present in each cave were documented by observation and limited collections of specimens for identification purposes. Significant species were discovered in these caves, representing new locations for rare and limited species previously documented from different regions on the island, and/or new, undescribed species from significant lineages that are federally listed on other islands. The most significant species observed included a reduviid thread-legged bug (Nesidiolestes sp.), a terrestrial amphipod (Spelaeorchestia sp.), a microvellid (Cavaticovelia sp.), and a new cave-adapted planthopper (Oliarus sp.).  While identification of the collected specimens is ongoing, documenting these significant species from lava tube caves in Ka’ū District illustrates the need for continued bioinventory work in this area. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Hawaii lava tubes troglobionts biological surveys Preliminary results from a survey of lava tube caves in the southwest region of the Ka’ū district of the Big Island, Hawai’i Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29878 2018-09-19 aca

The American University Dapartmemt of Biology, NW Washington DC, United States of America author Culver, David C https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8866-9053 Karst Research Institute, Postojna, Slovenia author Pipan, Tanja https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9786-3870 2018-09-19 2018-09-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29878 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29878 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29878/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29878/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29878/download/xml/ Evolutionary processes, including natural selection, neutral mutation, and habitat filtering, act upon morphology and other aspects of their biology, as well as species composition itself, to produce the observed patterns or community structure and morphology. The context for these evolutionary processes (the ecological theater in G.E. Hutchinson’s phrase) are the subterranean habitats. We have a relatively rich vocabulary to describe habitats (e.g., MSS, epikarst, hypotelminorheic) and to describe the closeness of association of a particular species or population with these habitats (e.g. trogloxene, troglophile, and troglobiont). Trajano provides a bridging principle between the ecological theater and the evolutionary play with the concept of source and sink populations.  What has been given much less attention is the morphological side, coined by Christiansen, that is the results of the evolutionary play. The word we have available is “troglomorphy”, which has been taken to mean loss of eyes and pigment, loss of eyes and pigment as well as increases in extra-optic sensory structures, any convergent change in any subterranean population. Only regressive changes are included in the first meaning; both regressive and progressive changes are included in the second; and the third includes autamorphy as well as homoplasy. Typically, it is used for the suite of characters involved, rather than an individual character. We suggest that the term “troglomorphy” be restricted to convergent changes (in the sense of [2] above) in subterranean habitats, and that the phrase “cave-dependent”, also used by Christiansen, be used when considering only caves, and perhaps be joined by phrases such as “MSS-dependent”.  Additionally, the phrases ‘cave-dependent”, “MSS-dependent”, etc. be used for individual characters. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers stygobiont troglobiont troglomorph Ecological and Evolutionary Classification of Subterranean Organisms  Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29806 2018-09-26 aca

Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Narrabri, Australia author Korbel, Kathryn Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia author Chariton, Anthony Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia author Hose, Grant 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29806 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29806 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29806/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29806/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29806/download/xml/ Distribution of biota within groundwater is often patchy, and attributed to the heterogeneity of the aquifer environment. Geology and hydrological connectivity are often the factors that most influence water chemistry and habitat availability thus biota, however phreatophytic trees, other sources of carbon and nutrients may also influence biotic distribution. Critically, limited knowledge on the relative importance of such factors on the distribution of groundwater biota makes it difficult to distinguish natural variation from human impacts on groundwater ecosystems, thus inpact our ability to undertake biomonitoring of ecosystem health. This study uses complementary field surveys and laboratory studies to unravel the relative influence of water quality, climate, and sediment size on biotic communities. Field surveys combined traditional pumping and net collections with eDNA community profiling (metabarcoding) of 16S rDNA to characterise groundwater microbes in shallow alluvial aquifers within the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. Laboratory studies examined the influence of sediment size on stygobiotic amphipods, syncarids and copepods.   For stygofauna, sediment size, and thus size of interstitial voids, is a key limiting factor. For microbes, water chemistry influences microbial activity and functional processes, which may in turn influence biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem services provided by groundwater ecosystems. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Stygofauna eDNA groundwater biomonitoring Biotic distribution within groundwater- is it really unpredictable? Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29829 2018-09-26 aca

Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont, Australia author Halse, Stuart https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0749-4878 Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont, Australia author Curran, Michael https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8642-9729 BHP Iron Ore, Perth, Australia author Carroll, Tanya BHP Iron Ore, Perth, Australia author Barnett, Belinda 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29829 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29829 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29829/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29829/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29829/download/xml/ Little is known about the ecology of the troglofauna species occurring outside caves – which we term landscape troglofauna – because of the difficulties associated with viewing and sampling the habitats of these species. Some of the important information missing for most landscape species is as basic as the depth and substrate in which they occur. For example, does a particular species occur relatively close to the surface, over a range of depths or is it always found quite deep? Does the species use detritals, bedrock habitats or both? In addition to being important for understanding the structure and resilience of subterranean communities, this information is very useful for determining the likely impact of development projects on troglofauna species and their habitat. Because animals are difficult to collect, species ranges within a development site, and beyond it, are often inferred from the extent of their known habitat. In this talk, we address four issues relevant to the ecology and sampling of troglofauna. First, we examine whether troglofaunal capture rates can be related to season, antecedent rainfall or other factors. Second, we examine the effect on sampling yield of setting multiple troglofauna traps. Third, we examine the depths at which various groups of troglofauna mostly occur and check whether there is a match between depth of occurrence and assignment to troglophile or troglobiont categories. Finally we use results of troglofauna sampling in holes for which we have drill logs to we illustrate how knowledge about species’ substrate types is used in environmental impact assessment. This work is a first step to improving our understanding of habitat preferences of troglofauna in Western Australia and some of the responses of troglofauna to environmental variables. It is hoped the work will lead to the framing of more detailed studies. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers troglobiont subterranean fauna habitat Western Australia What does sampling tell us about the ecology of troglofauna? Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29822 2018-09-26 aca

Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Castaño Sánchez, Andrea https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1344-0593 Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Pereira, Joana Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Gonçalves, Fernando Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4756-7034 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29822 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29822 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29822/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29822/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29822/download/xml/ Pharmaceutical compounds have been extensively used in medicine and currently detected in trace concentrations (ranging from ng/L to mg/L) in both surface and groundwater bodies worldwide in the last decades. Despite being mostly found in low concentrations, these are persistent compounds that are continuously discharged into aquatic ecosystems. Pharmaceutical compounds are also present in complex mixtures and the actual absence of appropriate wastewater treatment specifically targeting their elimination, renders them emerging contaminants with high risk for surface and groundwater ecosystems. None of these compounds is included in the European Water Framework Directive as a priority substance and comprehensive data are still being built regarding pharmaceuticals toxicity on standard surface aquatic taxa and almost none concerning groundwater-dweller species. However, the current Directive 2008/105/EC has included some antibiotics, steroids, phenolic-antioxidants and the anti-inflammatory diclofenac in the established watch list for monitoring substances regarding water quality policy. Assessing the toxicity of pharmaceutical compounds in a large spectrum of aquatic environments is needed to assist a realistic environmental risk assessment. Hence, including subterranean species is a priority for establishing conservation measures in groundwater ecosystems. Copepod crustaceans are widely represented in freshwater bodies and dominant in groundwater ecosystems. We have selected the cosmopolitan (freshwater and groundwater) crustacean species Diacyclops crassicaudis crassicaudis Sars, 1863 and the freshwater model species Daphnia magna Müller, 1785 to estimate their response to acute exposures to the pharmaceutical compound diclofenac. Our preliminary results indicate that diclofenac was more toxic to the copepodites C1-C2 than to the neonates of D. magna (half maximal effective concentration: 63 mg/L and 111.3 mg/L at 48 h respectively) (See Suppl. material 1). However, further long-term toxicity testing at more environmentally relevant concentrations and the use of species with similar ecological features and more closely related are required for a better understanding of the potential of pharmaceutical compounds to harm the groundwater biota. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Comparative acute toxicity of the pharmaceutical compound Diclofenac on groundwater and surface water crustaceans Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29966 2018-09-26 aca

Institute of Ecosystem Study of the CNR, National Research Council of Italy, Florence, Italy author Di Lorenzo, Tiziana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3131-7049 Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Programa de Investigación en Ecotoxicología, Universidad 7 Nacional de Luján CONICET , Luján, Argentina author Di Marzio, Walter Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy author Piccini, Leonardo Institute of Ecosystem Study of the CNR, National Research Council of Italy, Florence, Italy author Messana, Giuseppe https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2048-0078 Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Programa de Investigación en Ecotoxicología, Universidad 7 Nacional de Luján CONICET, Luján, Argentina author Saenz, Maria Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy author Galassi, Diana M.P. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6448-2710 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29966 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29966 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29966/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29966/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29966/download/xml/ Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to potentially cause a severe change in the respiratory metabolism of freshwater species, however the effect of these contaminants on groundwater-obligate species has not been investigated to date. Tetrachloroethylene (TCE) is a VOC frequently found in the groundwater bodies of industrialized areas, even years after a contamination event because TCE degradation takes several decades to occur. Contamination from TCE is considered persistent and difficult to remediate. Its high density favors a gravity-driven vertical infiltration into groundwater bodies. The TCE threshold value is 1.1 μg/L in groundwater bodies of Italy. TCE concentration in many Italian groundwater bodies is widely over this legal limit. In this study, we investigated the effect of 1.1 μg/L TCE on the survival, oxygen consumption, and locomotory activities of a groundwater-obligate copepod species. The specimens required for the trials were collected in the Antro del Corchia Cave (Tuscany). We measured the individual-based oxygen consumption of this species as a proxy of possible metabolic reactions to long-term (5 days) exposures to TCE at 8.0°C that is the mean annual temperature of groundwater flowing in the cave. To this end, we used a sealed glass microplate equipped with 24-planar oxygen sensor spots with optical isolation glued onto the bottom of 80-μL wells (Loligo Systems, Denmark) integrated with a 24-channel fluorescence-based respirometry system (SDR Sensor Dish Reader, PreSens, Germany). The system allows simultaneous measurement of 20 replicates and 4 controls. Survival and locomotory activity assessments were performed by counting the number of alive individuals and measuring the number of moving animals in 5 mL glass vials each containing 20 individuals. Preliminary results showed a decreasing in oxygen consumption of the organisms exposed to 1.1 μg/L TCE for 5 days at 8°C respect to the control. However, neither survival nor locomotory activities appeared to have been affected by exposure to TCE. See Suppl. material 1. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Copepods   tetrachloroethylene traits Survival, metabolic rates and locomotory activities of a groundwater-obligate copepod species under long-term exposures to tetrachloroethylene Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29967 2018-09-26 aca

University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Jensen, Katrine Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, Lisbon, Portugal author Rodrigues, Luísa Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark author Pape, Thomas https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6609-0609 University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Garm, Anders Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain author Santamaria, Sergi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7462-8923 University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4756-7034 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29967 2018 funder Villum Fonden 10.13039/100008398 10.3897/aca.1.e29967 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29967/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29967/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29967/download/xml/ Bat flies (Nycteribiidae) of the order Diptera are highly specialized bloodsucking ectoparasites living on bats. The life-cycle of the bat flies emphasizes their obligate relationship with their hosts as they spend almost their entire life on bats. Upon mating, the female bat fly carries the larvae internally until the 3rd-instar when it deposits the larvae on the ceiling of the roost occupied by bats. The larvae then form a puparium. After 3-4 weeks the adult bat fly emerges from the puparium and starts searching for a host bat to colonize. Some of these ectoparasitic bat flies themselves are infected with an ectoparasitic fungus of the genus Arthrorhynchus (Laboulbeniales). Ascospores of the fungi attach themselves to the cuticle of the bat fly and develop a very conspicuous haustorium that penetrates into the soft tissues from where it presumably extract nutrition from the hemolymph of the bat flies. This interaction converts the fungus into a hyperparasite. Both the parasite and hyperparasite are obligates and cannot live separate from their hosts. This peculiar case of hyperparasitism remains highly unknown. The bat flies were collected in caves of Portugal, in maternity and hibernation bat seasons, and in the autumn migration period. The most common species of cave-dwelling bat species in Portugal is Miniopterus schreibersii, frequently parasitized with Nycteribia schmidlii and Penicillidia conspicua bat flies. We have studied the prevalence of the Laboulbeniales of the genus Arthrorhynchus in natural populations of bat flies. The site and position of the fungus on male and female bat flies unveils the mechanism of fungal transmission among bat flies, indicating that it occurs during mating behavior. This study is the starting point towards the understanding of this unique case of fungus-insect-vertebrate hyperparasitism interaction. See Suppl. material 1. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Hyperparasitism in caves: bats, bat flies and ectoparasitic fungus Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29968 2018-09-26 aca

Scriptorium biologorum, Murska Sobota, Slovenia author Goricki, Spela https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8744-2957 Tolstojeva 1b, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Presetnik, Primož BIA Separations CRO, Labena d.o.o, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Prosenc-Zmrzljak, Uršula Karst Research Institute - ZRC SAZU, Postojna, Slovenia author Blatnik, Matej Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Gredar, Tajda Karst Research Institute - ZRC SAZU, Postojna, Slovenia author Kogovšek, Blaž Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia author Koit, Oliver University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia author Strah, Sara Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia author Bilandžija, Helena Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia author Jalžić, Branko Society for Cave Biology, Kranj, Slovenia author Aljančič, Gregor BIA Separations CRO, Labena d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia author Košir, Rok Karst Research Institute - ZRC SAZU, Postojna, Slovenia author Mayaud, Cyril National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Štebih, Dejan Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation, Novo Mesto, Slovenia author Hudoklin, Andrej University of Maryland, Maryland, United States of America author Jeffery, William 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29968 2018 10.1038/srep45054 Conservation genetics of proteus in the Postojna-Planina Cave System V. Zakšek author 2017 text Nat Slo 2017 19 33 34 10.3897/aca.1.e29968 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29968/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29968/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29968/download/xml/ Recent records of Proteus anguinus outside its historically known range (Gorički et al. 2017), discovered through detection of its DNA dissolved in groundwater (environmental DNA or eDNA), mark the beginning of a new era in the study and conservation of cryptic subterranean biodiversity. An upgraded technology, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), initially developed for studies of gene expression, detection of genetically modified organisms and in medical diagnostics, is being tested for improved detection of the much smaller and rare stygobiont, the cave clam Congeria jalzici. In parallel to eDNA assay development for various stygobiotic species of the Dinaric Karst, a groundwater-sample library is being created. The samples will be available for future analysis of their species composition and will also serve as a source of information on any changes in species distribution over time. In another line of eDNA research, the utility of ddPCR for direct quantification of eDNA molecules in groundwater is being explored by using the large, accessible and well-characterized (Zakšek and Trontelj 2017) natural Proteus population in the Planina Cave (Slovenia) as a model. The eDNA methodology may in the future be applied in estimation and monitoring of Proteus population sizes without having to see, mark or otherwise disturb the animals themselves. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Environmental DNA in subterranean biology update: from “Where?” to “How many?” Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29975 2018-09-26 aca

Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain author Pavlek, Martina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6710-0581 University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain author Arnedo, Miquel A. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1402-4727 Commissione Grotte 'E. Boegan’, SAG-CAI, Via Donota 2, I-34121, Trieste, Italy author Gasparo, Fulvio Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain author Adrian, Silvia 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29975 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29975 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29975/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29975/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29975/download/xml/ Because of their size, abundance and active predatory lifestyle, spiders of the family Dysderidae are among the most conspicuous creatures in the Dinaric caves. Historically, the interest for this group dates back to 1847, to the description of the first cave spider in the world, Stalita taenaria, and peaks in the middle of 20th century with the works of Joseph Kratochvíl and Christa L. Deeleman-Reinhold among others. However, after all these years, an explicit phylogenetic hypothesis about the family relationships is still missing and the taxonomy of some genera is a matter of debate. Dinaric cave representatives belong to two subfamilies: Rhodinae, with 13 species from five genera (Rhode, Stalita, Parastalita, Mesostalita and Stalitella) and Harpacteinae, with eight species from two genera (Folkia and Stalagtia). All species are considered troglobiotic and are Dinaric endemics, with Harpacteine restricted to the south part of the Dinaric Mountains and Rhodinae (with few exceptions) to the north part. Here, we present the results of a mutli-locus phylogenetic analysis of the family combining mitochondrial and nuclear genes of the focal group along with representatives of the other dysderid genera. Our data reveal a more complex taxonomic structure than currently recognized, with several instances of paraphyly, and uncover some overlooked diversity at the species level. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Unraveling the evolutionary history of the cave-dwelling Dysderidae in the Dinarides Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e29976 2018-09-26 aca

Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Croatıan Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia author Pavlek, Martina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6710-0581 Croatıan Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia Speleological club Ozren Lukić, Zagreb, Croatia author Sudar, Vedran Speleological club Ozren Lukić, Zagreb, Croatia Croatıan Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia author Kuharić, Nikolina Croatıan Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia author Bregović, Petra https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2849-5546 Croatıan Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia Breganja Association, Bregana, Croatia author Kirin, Alen 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e29976 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e29976 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29976/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29976/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/29976/download/xml/ Biokovo Mountain in Croatia is a Dinaric hotspot of subterranean biodiversity and its area of 196 km 2 is protected as a nature park. Until now, more than 400 caves have been registered here, however, only in about 30% of them biospeleological research has been carried out. It is hypothesized that over 1000 caves exist in highly karstified Biokovo Mt. Biospeleological research of the area started at the beginning of 20th century and deep caves were infrequently explored after the year 1980. Previous research recorded more than 90 troglobiotic species in this area and most of them are endemic. The primary goal of the Expedition was a systematic survey of eight deep caves (depth over 250 m), one of which was never before biospeleologically surveyed. We also surveyed other caves from which material for detailed faunistic analysis was missing. The main part of the expedition took place from 17 th to 25 th June 2017, with 52 participants. Fauna was collected by hand and by pitfall traps with baits, in the total of 26 caves. Five deep caves were completely surveyed (depth up to 710 m), the topographic map was made when missing, and fauna was photographed. Microclimatic conditions were measured and in two caves data loggers were placed. According to preliminary results, around 10 new species for science have been found from following groups: leeches (Hirudinea), spiders (Araneae), harvestmen (Opiliones), woodlice (Isopoda), centipedes (Chilopoda), springtails (Collembola), two-pronged bristletails (Diplura) and beetles (Coleoptera). These results confirm that deep caves of Biokovo Mt are still underexplored and that detailed and systematic research is needed.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers 1st Croatian Biospeleological expedition - Biokovo 2017 Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30040 2018-09-26 aca

Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Brazil author Campos-Filho, Ivanklin https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6139-8241 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Fernandes, Camile Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Brazil author Aguiar, José Otávio Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi, CNR, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Florence, Italy author Taiti, Stefano https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4909-6037 2018-09-26 2018-09-26 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30040 2018 funder Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 10.13039/501100003593 funder Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior 10.13039/501100002322 funder Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 10.13039/501100001807 10.3897/aca.1.e30040 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30040/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30040/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30040/download/xml/ Terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) comprise more than 3,700 species distributed in almost all types of the terrestrial habitats, including caves. About 300 troglobiotic species are known, mostly in the northern hemisphere. In South America, Brazil has the highest number of recorded caves, approximately 15,000 (7% of the total estimated, ca. 100,000). Currently, 37 species of terrestrial isopods are known from Brazilian caves, 15 of which  are considered troglobiotic. A large collection of terrestrial isopods from caves of the Brazilian states of Pará, Sergipe, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Goiás, São Paulo, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Paraná has been examined. Fifty-three species are recognized in the families Styloniscidae (3 genera, 4 species), Rhyscotidae (1 genus, 1 species), Philosciidae (6 genera, 11 species), Scleropactidae (3 genera, 4 species), Platyarthridae (2 genera, 14 species), Dubioniscidae (2 genera, 12 species), Armadillidae (4 genera, 5 species), Porcellionidae (1 genus, 1 species), and Armadillidiidae (1 genus, 1 species). Eight species can be considered troglobiotic in the genera Xangoniscus (2 spp.) (Styloniscidae), Alboscia (1 spp.), Atlantoscia (1 spp.) and Benthana (1 spp.) (Philosciidae), Amazoniscus (1 spp.) and Microsphaeroniscus (1 spp.) (Scleropactidae), and one new genus with two new species of Platyarthridae. A second species of the genus Pectenoniscus (Styloniscidae), a new genus of a spiny Armadillidae with two new species are described, the poorly known Venezillo congener is re-described, and many species have their recorded distributions extended. The total number of cave-dwelling species in Brazil is still far to be complete. It is very important to increase research on cave biodiversity which is threatened by anthropic actions (e.g., monocultures and mining), and to define conservation strategies according to the current legislation. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers terrestrial isopods biodiversity cave environment Neotropical region Contributions to the terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazilian caves Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30142 2018-10-02 aca

Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Gouveia, André University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4756-7034 Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Gonçalves, Fernando Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Marques, Sérgio 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30142 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30142 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30142/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30142/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30142/download/xml/ Antibiotics have been developed for more than 80 years but presently there is an evident decline on their effectiveness due to the development of resistance by pathogens. The arising of multi drug resistant pathogens, has become a serious threat to public health. Microorganisms play a central role in nature as well as in drug discovery with a long track record as important sources of bioactive natural products revealing a wide array of molecules. Although many approaches have been applied to solve this crisis, in the last decades the focus on extreme habitats as gain attention due to peculiar features and due to the presence of unique microbial populations inhabiting these ecosystems. Caves are considered extreme environments, usually oligotrophic, being in general devoid of light, and presenting stable conditions (temperature, humidity) throughout the year. We present the first analysis of antimicrobial activity of bacteria isolated from Cerâmica Cave, located in the Sicó karst massif, central Portugal. Microorganism acquisition was performed through a variety of physical and chemical treatments: dry-heat, wet-heat, dry-heat plus phenol (1,5%), phenol (1,5%), microwave irradiation, rehydration centrifugation, and no-treatment, along with three media: R2A agar, Actinomycetes isolation agar and Yeast-malt agar. A primary antimicrobial activity screening, through cross streak method, was performed in 28 isolates, using two different incubation periods and different target agents (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida, Salmonella typhimurium and Enterococcus faecalis). A total of 7 isolates presented antagonistic activity against B. cereus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, A. salmonicida S. typhimurium and S. aureus. This study proves the ability of cave microorganisms to inhibit both Gram positive and Gram negative pathogenic strains, highlighting the potential of caves microbiome to be one of the answers to solve the current global crisis of multi drug resistant pathogens. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Cave bacteria cross streak method antimicrobial metabolites Caves as a source of new antimicrobial agents: the case study of antibacterial activity from microorganisms inhabiting Cerâmica Cave, Portugal Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30109 2018-10-02 aca

University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Veloso, Telma University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4756-7034 University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Oliveira, Helena Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Gonçalves, Fernando University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Marques, Sérgio 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30109 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30109 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30109/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30109/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30109/download/xml/ Recently, there has been an increasing demand for new molecules with bioactivity as a result of the increasing number of multi drug resistant bacteria and also of the need to find treatment for various diseases. Thus, to fill this urging need there has been a great investment in developing new techniques to speed up and increase the possibility of finding new molecules with therapeutic potential. Typically, the first stage of drug discovery process relies on in vitro assays and conventional high-throughput LC-MS-MS approaches. This combined with unique extreme environments, as a source of new molecules, has proved to be a good approach to enlarge natural product drug discovery. Considering the present demand for new bioactive molecules, together with the fact that cave microorganisms are already considered an important, yet largely unexplored source, our study aimed at assessing the bioactive potential of cave bacterial extracts, namely its antimicrobial and antitumoral potential. From six soil samples collected in the Cerâmica cave, at the Sicó karst massif, centre of Portugal, a total of 409 isolates were obtained. After a primary screening with the cross-streak method, 91 isolates showed antagonistic activity against four pathogenic agents (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida and Bacillus aquimaris). Afterwards the secondary screening was carried out with the three isolates that presented higher antimicrobial activity. For the secondary screening, cell-free supernatants (CFS) were tested against eight pathogenic agents (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebesiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus). The chemical analysis of the CFS is discussed, as well as the results from the in vitro tests with human cell lines to evaluate its effects on cell morphology, viability and proliferation (Suppl. material 1). text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers bacteria cave antimicrobial activity Accessing bioactive potential of cave bacterial extracts Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30237 2018-10-02 aca

The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Langille, Barbara The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia author Bertozzi, Terry https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6665-3395 Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia author Tierney, Simon The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Austin, Andrew Western Australian Museum, Welshpool WA 6106, Australia Western Australian Museum, Perth, Australia author Humphreys, William Frank South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Cooper, Steven https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7843-8438 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30237 2018 funder Australian Research Council 10.13039/501100000923 10.3897/aca.1.e30237 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30237/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30237/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30237/download/xml/ Neutral evolution theory predicts that genes specific to the development/function of eyes in subterranean animals will evolve under relaxed selection, ultimately becoming pseudogenes. Independently evolved (3-8 million years ago) subterranean beetle (Dytiscidae) species of Western Australia have converged on eye loss, providing a powerful system to explore changes to the genome with respect to troglomorphic characters. Using next generation sequence data, we investigated the molecular evolution of ‘eye genes’ of subterranean beetle species to test if they are evolving neutrally. We used transcriptome data from five beetle species (three subterranean and two surface) to design baits for hybrid enrichment of 60 pigmentation and phototransduction genes from 31 subterranean and surface species. The current talk focuses on the results from the study of 8 photoreceptor genes that showed evidence for a lack of transcription or possible pseudogenisation in stygobitic species when compared to surface species. The mutations found in these genes included multiple insertions or deletions, resulting in frameshifts which led to the introduction of stop codons. Our study provides evidence for the parallel loss of key phototransduction genes, lending support to the neutral theory of regressive evolution. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Dytiscidae regressive evolution eye loss subterranean beetles opsin arrestin phototransduction neutral evolution theory pseudogene Molecular evolution of ‘eye genes’ in blind beetles from the calcrete archipelago of Western Australia: evidence for neutral evolution of phototransduction genes Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30126 2018-10-02 aca

University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Department of Genetics and Biosystematics, Gdańsk, Poland author Iepure, Sanda https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3748-3478 CEAZA, Raúl Bitrán 1305, Campus Andrés Bello, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile author Gouin, Nicolas CEAZA, Raúl Bitrán 1305, Campus Andrés Bello, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile author Bertin, Angeline Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain author Camacho, Ana Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Madrid, Spain author González-Ramón, Antonio Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACT) , Granada, Spain author de Cisneros Vencelá, Concha Institute of Ecosystem Study of the CNR, National Research Council of Italy, Florence, Italy author Di Lorenzo, Tiziana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3131-7049 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30126 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30126 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30126/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30126/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30126/download/xml/ Chile has large extensions of arid and semi-arid regions throughout the whole country, where the intensive demands and use of water resources, especially groundwater for irrigations and mining activities, increased dramatically over the last decades. The aquifer depletions due to water abstraction for irrigation and nutrient loads, exert major alterations of water quality, groundwater recharge and the natural renewal rate. All these factors diminish the aquifer value for the users and contribute to the degradation of groundwater as environment and habitat for fauna. This intensive use of groundwater resources in Chile brought to significant social and economic benefits, but their inadequate management resulted in negative environmental, legal and socioeconomic consequences. In this study, we aimed at providing a first assessment of environmental alterations of groundwater ecosystems from agricultural watersheds in northern Chile by specifically evaluating the effects of nitrogen and pesticide loads on groundwater communities and identifing the ecosystem service alterations due to agricultural activities. The study has been performed in a glacial aquifer from Coquimbo region; 250 km north of Santiago de Chile, the floodplain of which is dominated by agriculture (fruits tress, vineyards). Due to low regional precipitations (100-240 mm/year) the aquifer is primarily recharged by snowmelt from the Andean chain and surface runoff. The relative groundwater levels, groundwater temperature, chemical analysis of nitrogen and total phosphorus and pesticide concentrations were examined, along with the evaluation of crustacean biodiversity and spatial distribution pattern. Stygofauna taxonomic richness and the presence of stygobites have been related more to groundwater level stability than to chemical water parameters indicating that over-exploitation has a negative impact on habitat suitability for groundwater invertebrates. Groundwater biota assessment is essential in understanding the impact produced by agriculture activities on groundwater as a resource and as ecosystem, a nexus that becomes more and more widely recognized. The rationale and the preliminary results of this study are summarized in the Suppl. material 1. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers The use of groundwater crustacean communities as indicators for aquifers quality in the semi-arid region of north-central Chile Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30125 2018-10-02 aca

Institute of Ecosystem Study of the CNR, National Research Council of Italy, Florence, Italy author Di Lorenzo, Tiziana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3131-7049 Gran Sasso-Laga National Park, L'Aquila, Italy author Cifoni, Marco Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy author Fiasca, Barbara Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy author Di Cioccio, Alessia Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy author Galassi, Diana M.P. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6448-2710 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30125 2018 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.345 10.3897/aca.1.e30125 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30125/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30125/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30125/download/xml/ The ecological risk assessment (ERA) of chemical substances is based on the premise that the protection of the most sensitive taxon safeguards the overall community. Given the severe scarcity of ecotoxicological data concerning groundwater species, we felt urged to consider epigean model species’ sensitivity data to determine the safe pesticide concentrations for obligate groundwater dwelling species. To this end, we performed the ERA of pesticide mixtures occurring in eleven Mediterranean porous aquifers (Abruzzo region; central Italy). The evaluation was based on data collected between 2010 and 2015 by the environmental protection agency of Abruzzo region (ARTA Abruzzo) and included 42 pesticides and 1953 samples. We applied a step-wise procedure: we used the Measured Environmental Concentration (MEC); we estimated the Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) and we established the ecological risk as Risk Quotient (RQ) based on the ∑MECi/PNECi ratio following a concentration addition model for mixtures’ toxicity. The PNEC was regarded as the concentration below which a harmful effect will most likely not occur to the groundwater dwelling fauna. The toxicity data used to compute the PNEC values were obtained from the US. EPA ECOTOX database confining the search to epigean crustaceans. Missing toxicity data were estimated by ECOSAR v.1.11. PNEC values were calculated by dividing the lowest short-term L(E)C50 value (that refers to the concentration at which 50% of its maximal effect was observed in test species) by appropriate assessment factors (AF). The AF values were selected according to the difference in the sensitivities of groundwater and epigean crustaceans derived from the available studies. Groundwater crustacean species were generally less sensitive to acute exposure to chemicals than the model species Daphnia magna. However, they were more sensitive than their epigean relatives when the comparisons were made among organisms sharing the same family/order. This result suggests caution when inferring the sensitivity of groundwater species from that of epigean taxa. The ecological risk was scored using a binary ecological classification suggesting that appreciable risk is likely when RQ≥1. Pesticide mixture risks were often driven by a minimum of 2 to 11 compounds in the eleven aquifers of Abruzzo region. However, the risk-drivers (i.e., individual pesticides explaining the largest share of potential effects) differed substantially among the aquifers. The results of this study have been published by Di Lorenzo et al. (2018). text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Predictive ecological risk assessment of pesticide mixtures in Mediterranean porous aquifers Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30225 2018-10-02 aca

Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Gallo, Jéssica https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9350-4686 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30225 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30225 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30225/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30225/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30225/download/xml/ Millipedes are widely found inside caves, where they are favoured by the darkness and the high humidity. Despite this, no population studies focusing their distribution along environmental gradients have been done so far. This study aimed to estimate the population density and spatial distribution of one troglophilic species of Pseudonannolene from a cave located in southeast Brazil. The data were obtained through the visual census method through bases distributed in different zones and substrates along the cave. The population density varied from 0.07 ind.m-² (9 individuals) at the beginning of the dry season to 0.402 (37 individuals) at the beginning of the rainy season. In relation to zonation and substrate, the largest number of individuals was found in the twilight zone and in the soil and rocky substrates. The number of individuals captured was higher in samplings conducted early and middle rainy season, despite the effect of seasonality was marginally significant. The abundance was low in both environments (hypogean and epigean), corroborating that the low population density is an intrinsic characteristic of the group as a whole. The low population density of Pseudonannolene may be due to: 1) the low calcium content inthe soil and, consequently, in the cave; 2) the effect of guano scarcity in the cave, sincethis is the main trophic resource for these millipedes in the subterranean environment; and 3) the effect of seasonality, as it may be a consequence of the stress caused by theatypical drought of the last two years, so this population would be in recovery. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Spatial distribution and population data of cave millipedes, genus Pseudonannolene Silvestri, 1895 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida) from Brazil Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30105 2018-10-02 aca

University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain author Sánchez-Fernández, David https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1766-0761 University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain author Millán, Andrés Unaffiliated, Roma, Italy author Rizzo, Valeria Museu de Ciències Naturals, Barcelona, Spain author Comas, Jordi Museu de Ciències Naturals, Barcelona, Spain author Lleopard, Enric Museu de Ciències Naturals, Barcelona, Spain author Pastor, Josep University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain author Pallarés, Susana https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8677-7475 Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain author Abellán, Pedro Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain author Spada, Michele University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom author Bilton, David Instituto de Biología Evolutiva, Barcelona, Spain author Ribera, Ignacio 2018-10-02 2018-10-02 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30105 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30105 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30105/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30105/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30105/download/xml/ One of the main challenges in disciplines such as ecology, biogeography, conservation and evolutionary biology is to understand and predict how species will respond to environmental changes, especially within a climate change context. We focus on the deep subterranean environment to minimize uncertainties in predictions, because it is one of the few ecosystems in nature whose environmental conditions are as homogeneous as those in the laboratory and their species cannot accommodate to changing conditions by behavioural plasticity, dispersal or microhabitat use (i.e., their only possibility to cope with climate change is to persist in situ). The hypotheses established for this project are based on the exciting results obtained in some of our previous studies, in which, we found that different subterranean beetle species living under different environmental conditions have identical/similar narrow thermal tolerance ranges, suggesting a lack of evolutionary adjustment to ambient temperature for these species. This could be due to the loss of some of the physiological mechanisms related to thermal tolerance, with a likely high metabolic cost, in a stable environment but with severe resource restrictions. However, the question that remains is to what extent this surprising narrow and homogeneous thermal niche is common for the whole subterranean biodiversity, and how this issue could determine the fate of subterranean biodiversity to climate change. In this project, we are testing for the generality of these exciting previous findings by studying the thermal niche (species acclimation abilities and thermal tolerances) of different lineages of cave beetles with different degrees of specialization to subterranean environments and from different geographical areas (Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains) (Suppl. material 1). text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers The CAVEheAT project: climate change, thermal niche and conservation of subterranean biodiversity Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30282 2018-10-08 aca

Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont, Australia author Curran, Michael https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8642-9729 Curtin University, Bentley, Australia author White, Nicole Curtin University, Bentley, Australia author Bunce, Michael BHP Iron Ore, Perth, Australia author Carroll, Tanya BHP Iron Ore, Perth, Australia author Barnett, Belinda Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont, Australia author Halse, Stuart https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0749-4878 2018-10-08 2018-10-08 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30282 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30282 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30282/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30282/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30282/download/xml/ Environmental DNA (eDNA) and metabarcoding have recently been combined with the aim of detecting species through the small amounts of DNA animals shed into the environment. The technique has successfully been applied in the biomonitoring of vertebrates and decapods and, in a collaborative project with the Trace and Environmental DNA laboratory, Curtin University, we tested its utility in troglofauna sampling. Traditional troglofauna surveys have low yields and consequently, provide limited information about species’ ranges. The ability to detect more occurrences of a species and better define the species’ range by combining traditional troglofauna sampling and eDNA is very exciting. The study area we used is in the central Pilbara and prior survey of the area had documented a moderate troglofauna community. We collected 147 samples from 74 drill holes that comprised 58 scrapes samples, 75 litter trap samples and 14 water samples. Pairs of scrape and water samples were collected from each drill hole, with one set sent for morphological identification and the second set frozen for metabarcoding. A pair of water samples comprised lowering a bailer down the drill hole, retrieving 1 L of water from the top of the water column (for eDNA) after which stygofauna net haul sampling was undertaken. Trap samples collected 124 troglofauna specimens, scrapes 37 troglofauna and net hauls two species of stygofauna and no troglofauna; troglofaunal groups collected include cockroaches, diptera, bugs, schizomids, millipedes, pseudoscorpions, palpigrads, isopods, beetles, silverfish, pauropods and symphylans. Surface species were abundant in the traps (7,760 specimens) and present in most scrapes (81 specimens); they mostly comprised mites and collembola, with lower numbers of flies and ants. The high diversity of animals collected and inevitable human contamination could be expected to pose significant hurdles to use of eDNA. The preliminary eDNA results are compared with the results of traditional sampling. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Comparison of eDNA and traditional troglofauna sampling methods Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30249 2018-10-08 aca

Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil author Gallão, Jonas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5268-7946 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 2018-10-08 2018-10-08 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30249 2018 funder Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 10.13039/501100003593 funder Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 10.13039/501100001807 10.3897/aca.1.e30249 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30249/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30249/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30249/download/xml/ Population dynamics studies raise relevant data to understanding ecological aspects and natural history of species as well as better conservation strategies. Using two scorpions species, Troglorhopalurus translucidus Lourenço, Baptista & Giupponi, 2004 and Troglorhopalurus lacrau (Lourenço & Pinto-da-Rocha, 1997) from Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil, we estimate populacional parameters through mark and recapture methodology, and Jolly-Seber estimator. In addition, data on both species as sexual ratio, reproductive biology, growth, longevity, feeding habitats, and seasonality were analyzed in the caves and afterwards compared to other scorpion species as well as other arachnids. We captured and marked 82 specimens of T. translucidus and 65 specimens of T. lacrau. Population estimates were 361 ± 199 individuals to T. translucidus and 333 ± 252 to T. lacrau. Population estimates were considered high for the troglobitic scorpions when compared to subterranean arachnids or even with epigean species of scorpions. Both troglobitic scorpions featured remarkable differences in relation to epigean scorpions as higher longevity, longer reproductive period, slower growth. Besides T. translucidus showed marked seasonality with populational variations in rainy seasons in contrast to T. lacrau with populational stability.  Suppl. material 1 text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Population dynamics of two troglobitic Troglorhopalurus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) scorpions from Brazil Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30363 2018-10-09 aca

¶ Department of groundwater ecology, IGÖ GmbH, Koblenz-Landau University, Department of environmental sciences, Koblenz-Landau University, Landau Pfalz, Germany author van den Berg-Stein, Susanne Department of groundwater management, Dresden Technical University, Dresden, Germany author Burghardt, Diana Department of environmental sciences, Koblenz-Landau University, Landau Pfalz, Germany author Schwenk, Klaus ¶ Department of groundwater ecology, IGÖ GmbH, Koblenz-Landau University, Department of environmental sciences, Koblenz-Landau University, Landau Pfalz, Germany author Hahn, Hans Jürgen 2018-10-09 2018-10-09 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30363 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30363 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30363/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30363/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30363/download/xml/ Although groundwater is a highly fragmented habitat, both faunistic and hydraulic interactions exist between different aquifers and between groundwater and surface water.  For the drinking water suppliers, in particular surface water intrusion into groundwater means an increased risk of contamination. Thus risk assessment is essential for quality assurance in drinking water supply. In this context, several questions arise: 1) Where does the water come from?; 2) Are there any hydraulic shortcuts to surface waters?; 3) Are there any hydrological interactions between different aquifers?; 4) What are the catchment borders? Invertebrate fauna may display the strength and the direction of hydrological interactions since the dispersal is linked to hydrological pathways. Our hypothesis is: The more intense the hydrogeological interactions the closer the relationship between individuals and populations. The degree of relationship can be determined using a kind of paternity test for invertebrates. This is a population genetic, microsatellite-based method called StygoTracing. The most important tools of StygoTracing are the primers, which have to be designed for each individual tracer species. Good tracer species are those, which have a wide distribution and occur with high frequency and are easy to determine. We have chosen three species both stygo- and non-stygobiotic ones. The primers and microsatellite analysis applied proved to be suitable even to distinguish single individuals from each other. StygoTracing has been successfully tested for water supply systems, but not yet in the field. Thus seven pilot areas were selected in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Palatinate and Saxony, and sampling was conducted on a total of 186 groundwater, spring and stream sites. Meanwhile, first genetic data are available and initial evaluations reveal plausible correlations on different spatial scales. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers StygoTracing biological tracer groundwater hydrological interaction microsatellites StygoTracing - First experiences with biological tracers in drinking water extraction areas Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30378 2018-10-09 aca

Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Riberião Preto - FFCLRP - USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil author von Schimonsky, Diego https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2800-4607 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil author Bichuette, Maria Elina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9515-4832 2018-10-09 2018-10-09 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30378 2018 funder Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 10.13039/501100003593 funder Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior 10.13039/501100002322 funder Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 10.13039/501100001807 10.3897/aca.1.e30378 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30378/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30378/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30378/download/xml/ Pseudoscorpions are one of the most diverse of the smaller arachnid orders but there is relatively little information about the distribution of these tiny animals, especially in Neotropical caves. Here we map the distribution of the Pseudoscorpiones in Brazilian caves with record of 12 families and 22 genera, total 313 caves from 13 states. Among them, two families (Atemnidae and Geogarypidae) with three genera (Brazilatemnus Muchmore, 1975, Paratemnoides Harvey, 1991 and Geogarypus Chamberlin, 1930) are recorded for the first time in cave habitat as well as other seven genera previously unknown for Brazilian caves (Olpiolum Beier, 1931, Pachyolpium Beier 1931, Tyrannochthonius Chamberlin, 1929, Lagynochthonius Beier, 1951, Neocheiridium Beier 1932, Ideoblothrus Balzan, 1892 and Heterolophus Tömösváry, 1884) but these genera are from families already recorded in this habitat, and have their distributional ranges expanded for all other previously recorded genera. We present these data in maps, considering the biogeographical provinces. For the genus Spelaeochernes Mahnert, 2001, we re-evaluate its Schiner-Racovitza status and propose the troglobite status. Finally, we discuss the ranges of the pseudoscorpion families/genera for Brazilian caves (Suppl. material 1).  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers biogeographical provinces cave fauna Neotropical Pseudoscorpiones  Distribution of cave-dwelling pseudoscorpions (Arachnida) in Brazil Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30389 2018-10-09 aca

SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Premate, Ester https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9388-1454 SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Volk, Teja Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Hydrobionts, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania author Copilaş-Ciocianu, Denis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6374-2365 SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Fišer, Žiga https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4576-5173 SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Jemec, Anita SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Delić, Teo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4378-5269 SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Fišer, Cene https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1982-8724 2018-10-09 2018-10-09 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30389 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30389 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30389/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30389/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30389/download/xml/ Locomotion is a complex trait directly linked to different fitness components such as foraging, mate-finding, and escaping from predators. In a food-limited subterranean environment a strong selection for an energetically optimal strategy of locomotion is expected and should lead to different strategies among closely related species adapted to different microhabitats. Due to its taxonomic and ecological diversity, the amphipod genus Niphargus is an ideal model system for studying locomotion strategies of species affiliated with different subterranean aquatic microhabitats. Such species differ from each other morphologically, and we predicted that they also evolved alternative strategies of locomotion. In this study, we examined three species from cave lakes and five species from cave streams or springs. After collection all species were first acclimated in a cave laboratory. Then, we video-recorded behaviour in a rectangular open-field arena of approximately 10 individuals per species. A single individual at a time was recorded under red light for 20 minutes. Videos were used to construct ethograms of distinct locomotor behaviours such as swimming, crawling, and walking. A video-tracking analysis was performed to extract variables like total path covered, time spent moving, average and maximal speed. Individuals were euthanized and measured for several morphological traits likely related to locomotion. Additionally, we measured activities of enzymes acetylcholinesterase and glutathione S-transferase, which are likely related to animals’ locomotor and metabolic activity, respectively. Preliminary analyses suggest that species from lakes and streams differ in locomotor behaviour. Interestingly, variation in locomotor behaviour was larger among lake species, possibly implying that selection for the optimal locomotion strategy is stronger and more uniform in streams than in lakes. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Locomotion of Niphargus amphipods from cave lakes and streams Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30399 2018-10-09 aca

LEHNA, UMR 5023 CNRS, Université de Lyon, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France LEHNA, UMR 5023 CNRS, Université de Lyon, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France author Malard, Florian https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8037-4464 UMS 3468 BBEES, CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France author Grison, Philippe New Zealand Inst. for Advanced Study, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand author Eme, David Dept of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, Univ. of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Fišer, Cene https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1982-8724 Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Univ. Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium author Flot, Jean-François https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4091-7916 LEHNA, UMR 5023 CNRS, Université de Lyon, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France author Konecny-Dupré, Lara LEHNA, UMR 5023 CNRS, Université de Lyon, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France author LEFEBURE, Tristan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3923-8166 Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Univ. Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium author Stoch, Fabio https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4535-3769 Dept of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, Univ. of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Zagmajster, Maja https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1323-9937 LEHNA, UMR 5023 CNRS, Université de Lyon, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France author Douady, Christophe J. 2018-10-09 2018-10-09 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30399 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30399 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30399/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30399/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30399/download/xml/ Decades of debates around the species problem have resulted in the emergence of a unified species concept with multiple criteria to delimit species taxa. Many biologists now agree to consider species as separately evolving segments of metapopulation lineages (i.e. the species concept), and to consider species taxa (i.e. the elementary units used in biodiversity science) as scientific hypotheses of separately evolving entities. In this framework, sets of species hypotheses are generated using different criteria (i.e. morphological distinguishability, genetic isolation) that mirror the properties expressed by species at different times and sequential orders during the extended and heterogeneous process of speciation. This conceptual and methodological advance in taxonomy has several implications for biodiversity science. First, species taxa represent a heterogeneous set of hypotheses whose properties are contingent on the heterogeneous, continuous and extended nature of speciation. Second, species databases need to integrate information on the diverse properties of species by attributing specimens to multiple species hypotheses generated using different delimitation criteria. Third, biodiversity science at large can provide novel insights into biodiversity processes by incorporating multiple species hypotheses into the analysis of biodiversity patterns. Here, we show how these implications have been taken into account by subterranean biologists. First, we briefly review the criteria and methods used to delimit species in subterranean biology and the diverse sets of species hypotheses they generated. Second, we present a new generation of species occurrence databases that integrate different species criteria and hypotheses while fully respecting the scientific rigor of taxonomy. Last, we show how incorporating multiple species hypotheses into macroecological analyses of European groundwater fauna bolsters our under­standing of the factors shaping large-scale patterns of species richness and geographic range size. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Integrating multiple species criteria and species hypotheses in subterranean biology Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30451 2018-10-18 aca

University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Soares, Joana University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Marques, Ana Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Gonçalves, Fernando Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4756-7034 Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Marques, Sérgio 2018-10-18 2018-10-18 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30451 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30451 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30451/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30451/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30451/download/xml/ Amphibians in Portugal are commonly found in karst ecosystems. Nonetheless, these ecosystems are threatened by activities such as agricultural and industrial activities and mining, which contaminate both surface water and groundwater. Due to the high permeability of the karst systems, the existence of water on the surface is scarce, with sinkhole ponds and springs representing essential water sources for amphibians, especially for their reproduction. Furthermore, water from springs may reflect the effects of surface contamination on groundwater. Considering the relevance of these water sources, specially to amphibians, which are considered highly sensitive to a widerange of contaminants, our study aimed at assessing the suitability of water from springs and sinkholes from two Portuguese karst massifs, for the development of the early lifestages of Hyla arborea. To achieve this, eggs from H. arborea were exposed to water from seven springs and four sinkholes, from the Estremenho and Sicó karst massifs, anda control (FETAX). The exposure was carried out with five replicates per condition, each with 20 tadpoles, and ended once the 25th Gosner stage was reached. The parameters evaluated were growth, antioxidant enzyme activity (Glutathione STransferases, Glutathione Peroxidase Se-dependent, total-Glutathione Peroxidase and Glutathione Reductase) and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Also, water samples were screened for the presence of six commonly used pesticides (Terbuthylazine, Tebuconazole, Deltamethrin, Dimethomorph, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate). The results revealed the presence of glyphosate in three of the sampled water bodies. Concurrently, in one of the sites presenting detectable glyphosate concentrations, tadpoles presented smaller body lengths, and mortality was also observed. In the remaining sites, despite the absence of the screened pesticides, there were some alterations of the biochemical parameters assessed, namely LPO. These results raised some concerns regarding the impact of human activities in surface and groundwater in the Sicó and Estremenho karst massifs.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Evaluation of the suitability of sinkhole ponds and springs from two Portuguese karst massifs for amphibian early life stage development Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30410 2018-10-19 aca

University of Koblenz Landau, Campus Landau, Molecular Ecology, Landau, Germany author Siemensmeyer, Tobias Institute for Groundwaterecology IGÖ GmbH, Landau, Germany author Spengler, Cornelia University of Koblenz Landau, Campus Landau, Molecular Ecology, Landau, Germany author Schwenk, Klaus Institute for Groundwaterecology IGÖ GmbH, Landau, Germany author Hahn, Hans Jurgen 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30410 2018 funder Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 10.13039/501100002347 10.3897/aca.1.e30410 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30410/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30410/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30410/download/xml/ Functioning, healthy groundwater ecosystems are essential for high quality drinking water, and they minimize costs of processing groundwater for drinking purposes. GroundCare is a multidisciplinary project, which is led by the Helmholz Institute in Munich, Germany and funded by the BMBF (German federal Ministry of education and Research). The aim is to parametrize and to quantify groundwater ecosystem services as a basis for sustainable water management and water pollution control by biomonitoring. In other words: the development of biological assessment techniques. Multiple parameters are evaluated (physico-chemical parameters, microbial and fauna community composition, ecotoxicological effects). Invertebrate fauna is investigated at five sites all across Germany. During the project, molecular identification through DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding of groundwater invertebrates is being implemented and compared to traditional morphological bio-assessment. The subterranean fauna can be used as bio-indicators to validate groundwater conditions, in particular surface water intrusion. For the water suppliers, surface water intrusion means an increased risk of contamination. The discrimination of epigean from stygobiotic fauna is the simple and basic idea of this approach. A very specific kind of water treatment is used by the water works in Würzburg (Bavaria), one of the fife study sites, which is located directly along the Main river bank. Uncommonly, they use part time river bank filtration if land-side groundwater levels are low. Another possibility is the extraction of Main River water by near-bank wells, followed by intensive water treatment and then the water is infiltrated again. The question asked was, whether the fauna indicates this specific situation or not. In the area, three types of subsurface waters can be distinguished, which are land-side groundwater, riverbank water and artificially infiltrated Main river water. Representative bores were sampled four times over one year for invertebrates. First results clearly show that the faunal patterns reflect these different hydrological situations. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Groundwater Risk assessment Fauna Bioindication Waterworks GroundCare - Invertebrates as indicators for untreated water and intrusion of surface water in water supply systems Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30500 2018-10-19 aca

Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Bregović, Petra https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2849-5546 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Fišer, Cene https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1982-8724 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Zagmajster, Maja https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1323-9937 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30500 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30500 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30500/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30500/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30500/download/xml/ Species richness patterns (SRP) emerge due to overlap in species distributions. They critically depend on two parameters of species ranges: geographic position and size. An important question is which species contribute more to the observed SRP, range restricted or widespread species. Most studies concluded that the widespread species tend to influence SRP more. However, the relative importance of either may strongly depend on the study system. Here we investigated how subterranean species of different range sizes contribute to SRP in the Western Balkans. We studied spatially defined datasets of terrestrial and aquatic troglobionts, represented by beetles (Cholevidae, Carabidae, 425 species) and amphipod crustaceans (Niphargidae, 150 species), respectively. The two groups differ in dispersal capacities, and indeed distribution of their range sizes differed. The proportion of single site species reached 30% in beetles, and 21% in niphargids. Maximum linear extent (MLE) of the range exceeded 200 km in only 1% of beetles, but in nearly 20% of niphargids. SRP of both taxonomic groups only partly overlapped. To assess the contribution of species with different ranges on SRP, we created different subsets and compared their SRPs with full dataset SRP. Subsets were first formed by adding species one-by-one, in ascending and descending order according to range size. We used correlation analysis, with significance assessed using null models generated from randomly generated subsets. In the second analysis, we assigned species info four classes according to range size, and modelled which size class best explains SRP. The results showed certain differences among the two taxonomic groups, which make generalizations difficult. We find it important to evaluate the contribution of species with different ranges to overall SRP, but also to identification of local hotspots. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Contribution of range restricted and widespread species to biodiversity patterns in the Western Balkans in Southern Europe Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30501 2018-10-19 aca

SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Zagmajster, Maja https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1323-9937 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia author Bregović, Petra https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2849-5546 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Delić, Teo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4378-5269 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Fišer, Cene https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1982-8724 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Fišer, Žiga https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4576-5173 SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Sket, Boris 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30501 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30501 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30501/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30501/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30501/download/xml/ Due to increasing human activities with negative impacts on wildlife and natural habitats, it has become necessary to establish conservation policies protecting at least parts of natural diversity. Subterranean fauna presents a challenge for conservation as species with small ranges or single site occurrences are common. In addition to the high level of strict endemism, the concealed lifestyles in habitats that are difficult to access make it challenging to establish the conservation status of subterranean species. Conservation approaches have different practical implications, but they should: i) include a sufficient number of important sites or proportion of species populations, and ii) involve monitoring of target species and habitats to check the effectiveness of conservation efforts. We evaluated both aspects in two study cases on subterranean fauna from Slovenia, which is known as one of the global biodiversity hotspots in the Western Balkans. In the first case, we investigated to what extent current conservation schemes cover single site species. In the second case, we studied a region in Southern Slovenia and evaluated to what extent the EU legislation, namely EU Habitats directive, has been successfully implemented. In the frame of the latter, Sites of Community Importance were designated also due to the presence of important cave habitats and subterranean species. Our results suggest that the inclusion of important subterranean sites in conservation schemes is considerable. But, the apparent lack of research and monitoring of both subterranean habitats and species hampers the conclusions on effectiveness of different conservation approaches. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Evaluating different conservation approaches to protection of subterranean fauna in Slovenia Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30502 2018-10-19 aca

SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Delić, Teo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4378-5269 Civico Museo di Storia Naturale, Trieste, Italy author Colla, Andrea SubBioLab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Zagmajster, Maja https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1323-9937 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30502 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30502 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30502/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30502/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30502/download/xml/ By offsetting the discipline of speleobiology with the discovery of the first subterranean beetle Leptodirus hochenwartii, Slovenia became the country with the longest tradition of speleobiological research. Subterranean beetles have been an undepletable study subject for almost two centuries, giving the impression that not much novelty is expected in beetle fauna. However, recent discoveries of two new beetle genera for Slovenia, one of them even being a new genus for science, have put this view into a new perspective. With the development of caving techniques and growing interest for surveying deep vertical caves, also the intensity of speleobiological studies of these caves gradually increased. So, it was only in 2017, that the first specialized, hygropetric beetle, was found in Slovenia. In Southern part of the country, a sole female specimen from genus Croatodirus (fam. Leiodidae), probably belonging to a new species, was collected from a cave in Mt. Snežnik, at depth of 475 m. Second, in the same year, even more spectacular finding came from the Southern Calcareous Alps. During sampling of a cave on Mt. Raduha, a peculiar and highly troglomorphic Trechinae (fam. Carabidae) was found at depth 450 m, near the cave hygropetric. Thorough morphological examination of a single male collected revealed characters similar to the ones known in the Southern Dinaric Scotoplanetes - genus known to inhabit the cave hygropetric. However, when the newly discovered genus was put into Alpine Trechinae phylogenetic framework, its sister relation with a narrow-endemic genus Aphaenopidius was revealed. Such rare and occasional findings raise questions regarding the completeness of our knowledge on alpha taxonomy and the mechanisms underlying convergent evolution in the subterranean realm. Poster: Suppl. material 1 text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Hiding deep underground - two new subterranean beetle genera for Slovenia Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30509 2018-10-19 aca

Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Raschmanová, Natália https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9476-1753 Institute of Soil Biology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic author Šustr, Vladimír Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Kováč, Ľubomír https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8194-2128 Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Parimuchová, Andrea Institute of Soil Biology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic author Devetter, Miloslav https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1767-4266 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30509 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30509 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30509/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30509/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30509/download/xml/ We hypothesized that trogloxenes inhabiting surface habitats, thermally fluctuating environment, would tolerate wide temperature ranges. We expected that the temperature tolerances would diminish over categories trogloxene - subtroglophile - eutroglophile - troglobiont as a result of the degree of adaptation to subterranean environment that is characteristic with thermally stable conditions. We also assumed that body size may play crucial role in tolerance of Collembola to high and low temperature. Eighteen species of all four categories were exposed to one-hour survival laboratory test. The impact of temperature, species and species-temperature interaction on the cold and heat survival was statistically significant. The species heat tolerance significantly increased with increasing cold tolerance. In general, decrease in cold and heat tolerance was shown from trogloxenes, over subtroglophiles and eutroglophiles to troglobionts. Cryptic species Folsomia sp. among trogloxenes and Ceratophysella sigillata, Hypogastrura crassaegranulata among subtroglophiles were highly heat- and also cold-resistant, showing wide ecological plasticity. Subtroglophilous Tetrodontophora bielanensis and Lepidocyrtus violaceus, eutroglophilous Heteromurus nitidus and troglobiont Protaphorura janosik were the most cold-sensitive species, and all troglobionts and eutroglophilous Pygmarrhopalites pygmaeus as the most heat-sensitive species. Species belonging to ecological groups not or less associated to cave environment (trogloxenes and subtroglophiles) showed wider range of temperature tolerance in comparison with more cave adapted species (eutroglophiles and troglobionts), tested by ANOVA. Cold resistance decreased significantly with increasing body length, indicating that body size plays an important role in temperature tolerances of arthropods inhabiting soil and subterranean habitats.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers thermal tolerance Collembola soil subterranean habitats life forms body size Comparison of thermal tolerance in Collembola (Hexapoda) inhabiting soil and subterranean habitats Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30489 2018-10-19 aca

Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Kováč, Ľubomír https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8194-2128 Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic author Žurovcová, Martina Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Raschmanová, Natália https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9476-1753 Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Parimuchová, Andrea Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia author Jureková, Nikola Cave Care Department, Slovak Caves Administration, State Nature Conservancy SR, , Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia author Papáč, Vladimír 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30489 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30489 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30489/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30489/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30489/download/xml/ The observations from the recent period revealed that the Western Carpathians, a part of the Carpathian mountain chain, is the northernmost region in Europe with the occurrence of the obligate cave fauna. The collembolan genus Pseudosinella Schäffer, 1897 is a polyphyletic taxon derived from the genus Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 from which it differs in reduced number of eyes. It covers about 350 species with predominantly Holarctic distribution of which about 39% are confined to caves. We studied the morphology and molecular traits to identify cave species of the genus Pseudosinella occupying the Western Carpathian caves and clarify their phylogenetic relationships. Based on morphological traits we hypothesized that Pseudosinella aggtelekiensis (Stach, 1929) and P. paclti Rusek, 1961 are descendants of the different phyletic lineages, the former species lacking morphologically related edaphic species. On the other hand, several species related to P. paclti were found in caves, superficial subterranean habitats and in the soil. Molecular phylogeny analysis has shown two distinct groups of cave species following pattern of allopatric distribution. The first group consisted of populations of P. aggtelekienis from the Slovak Karst and an undescribed species from fragmented and isolated karst in eastern Slovakia. In the second group different populations of P. paclti occupying caves of the central karst regions were incorporated together with a new highly troglomorphic species confined to a small karst area. After an approximate estimate of the geological timing of the species isolation (RelTime), the two distinct Pseudosinella lineages separated approx. 9.54 mya followed by subsequent diversification in P. paclti lineage 8.36 mya, and in P. aggtelekiensis lineage 6.99 mya. This study contributed to assumption that the Western Carpathian Mts played an important role as speciation centre of the obligate cave fauna in Europe. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Collembola Pseudosinella molecular phylogeny subterraean habitat genetic divergence Slovakia Werstern Carpathians Phylogeny of the genus Pseudosinella (Hexapoda, Collembola) from the Western Carpathians caves reveals Miocene diversification Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30452 2018-10-19 aca

University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Marques, Ana University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Soares, Joana Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Gonçalves, Fernando Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal author Marques, Sérgio Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark author Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4756-7034 2018-10-19 2018-10-19 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30452 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30452 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30452/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30452/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30452/download/xml/ Amphibians are frequently found exploring subterranean environments. Even though in Europe there are already some reports of amphibians present in subterranean habitats, in Portugal there is a major lack of knowledge of these ecosystems, namely in the karst region. Considering the relevance of amphibians and their current conservational status, it is important to assess their presence in every potential habitat. In order to provide further knowledge over this subject a preliminary survey was carried out in two Portuguese karst massifs, Estremenho and Sicó. A total of 24 caves were surveyed and as result three species (Tarentola mauritanica; Salamandra salamandra and Pleorodeles waltl) were found in Estremenho karst massif, and two species (Triturus marmoratus and Bufo bufo) were observed in Sicó karst massif. Furthermore, evidences were found that P. waltl uses caves for reproduction, which had only been reported once in Spain. This allowed perceiving that herpetofauna species occupy caves of Portuguese karst massifs and are also using them as reproduction sites. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Distribution of herpetofauna in caves of Portuguese karst massifs Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e30724 2018-10-22 aca

American University, Washington DC, United States of America author Gilbert, Heather 2018-10-22 2018-10-22 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e30724 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e30724 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30724/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30724/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/30724/download/xml/ In the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and Coastal Plain the hypotelminorheic habitat—a shallow subterranean habitat typically underlain by a clay layer—is inhabited by many species that are both troglomorphic (reduced or absent eyes and pigment and elaborated appendages) and stygobiotic (limited to subterranean habitats). Among these is the amphipod species Stygobromus tenuis potomacus. Crangonyx shoemakeri, is a stygophile that also occurs in wetlands as well as the hypotelminorheic. A third amphipod is occasionally found in seeps, most commonly those with direct connections to permanent surface streams—Gammarus minus. Little is understood about how species survive the seasonal changes including drastic water fluctuations. To explore this question, a laboratory experiment was conducted to measure the death rates of amphipod species in a clay substrate habitat when open surface water was removed to determine whether the ability to burrow into clay substrates is an important factor in the occurrence of S. tenuis potomacus species and C. shoemakeri in seeps and hypotelminorheic habitats as well as determine if the inability to burrow explains the general absence of Gammarus minus from seeps. Overall, there is a 25 percent increase in mortality for G. minus when subjected to drying, a statistically significant difference (G=8.73, p<.005). On the other hand, there is no apparent statistically significant difference in survival rates between S. tenuis potomacus and C. shoemakeri. This survivability may be attributable to their behaviors. To protect these species, and the endemic and endangered species of amphipod like Stygobromus hayi, it is important to preserve the habitat, including the clay layer. Management strategies should focus on conserving these key habitats, not just the endangered species. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Adaptation to desiccation burrowing Crangonyx shoemakeri Gammarus minus Hypotelminorheic shallow subterranean habitats Stygobromus Amphipod Behavioral Adaptations to the Absence of Surface Water Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e32231 2018-12-07 aca

Museum national dHistoire naturelle, Paris, France author Deharveng, Louis https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9681-7177 FFI, Cambridge, United Kingdom author Whitten, Tony Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, United States of America author Wynne, Judson Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia author Komericki, Ana IUCN, Cambridge, United Kingdom author Khela, Sonia 2018-12-07 2018-12-07 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e32231 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e32231 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32231/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32231/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32231/download/xml/ The Cave Invertebrate Specialist Group, an IUCN Species Survival Commission, is a group of 80 taxonomists, biospeleologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists. Since 2014, our objectives have been to: (1) conserve subterranean habitats, and address one of the largest lacunas in conservation biology – the protection of sensitive cave and subterranean invertebrate populations; (2) conduct IUCN Red List evaluations for imperiled and/or narrow range endemic species; (3) encourage comprehensive baseline biodiversity surveys, in particular to determine the proportion of unknown biodiversity yet to be discovered; and, (4) provide collaborative opportunities with the business sector for conducting Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Biodiversity Action Plans, and site and species management plans. We will our accomplishments over the past four years including growth of membership, the number of Red List evaluations conducted and the total number of species recognized as a conservation priority. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers The IUCN-SSC Cave Invertebrate Specialist Group Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e32232 2018-12-07 aca

Museum national dHistoire naturelle, Paris, France author Deharveng, Louis https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9681-7177 Croatian Biospeleological Society (CBSS), unknown, Croatia author Lukić, Marko https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0067-4684 Museum National dHistoire Naturelle, Paris, France author Judson, Mark https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9832-3729 MNHN Paris, Paris, France author Bedos, Anne 2018-12-07 2018-12-07 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e32232 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e32232 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32232/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32232/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32232/download/xml/ The Hon Chong‒Kâmpôt hills form a group of tiny karstic outcrops scattered in the alluvial plain across the southwestern border between Vietnam and Cambodia. This group hosts an exceptional concentration of endemic taxa that have been progressively discovered during the past two decades. Remarkable endemic genera of millipedes, mites, woodlice and beetles, as well as many endemic species of other arthropod groups are known from deep soil and from caves of this karst. Among them, several species remain known from only single caves or sites, despite intensive sampling. These hills are under critical threat from limestone exploitation. Most of them have already been, or are going to be, levelled during the coming years, the plan being to leave only 3 km2 of unquarried limestone in the Vietnamese part of the karst. We describe here the patterns of endemism and the patterns of threats to this karst group, and summarize the attempts that have been made so far to avoid what is turning out to be one of the worst mass extinctions of karst species documented to date. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Ongoing invertebrate extinctions in a Vietnamese/Cambodian karst biodiversity hotspot Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.1.e32377 2018-12-13 aca

Trace and Environmental DNA lab, Curtin University, Perth, Australia author White, Nicole Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Guzik, Michelle Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia author Cooper, Steven https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7843-8438 Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia author Austin, Andrew Trace and Environmental DNA lab, Curtin University, Perth, Australia author Bunce, Michael 2018-12-13 2018-12-13 2018 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 1 e32377 2018 10.3897/aca.1.e32377 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32377/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32377/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/32377/download/xml/ Biological organisms living in any environment can expel DNA into their surroundings through fecal matter, mucus, shed skin, gametes, etc. Here we examine the utility of metabarcoding from a variety of environmental DNA (eDNA) substrates collected from the Pilbara region, Western Australia, to assess the feasibility for both stygo- and troglofauna detection. With metabarcoding, we confirm eDNA from both stygo- and troglofauna is detectable via molecules. In addition, our proof-of-concept and validation of using an eDNA approach was confirmed when both traditional morphological and metabarcoding assessments were compared. The metabarcoding results from the eDNA substrates are very encouraging when compared to the results of traditional morphological assessments, although highlighted the need for comprehensive DNA reference databases to be accessible for metabarcoding comparisons in order to obtain species identifications and community assemblage profiles. Furthermore, our results indicate a standardised field sampling collection method is warranted in order to maximise the success of subterranean eDNA detection from environmental substrates. eDNA data collected suggest metabarcoding approaches will become a powerful part of the toolkit to study subterranean fauna. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers What’s the potential for environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess stygofauna and trogolofauna: pilot studies from Western Australia Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37207 2019-06-12 aca

Department of Ecology, Climatology and Air Protection, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland author Kędzior, Renata https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8075-5734 Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland author Skalski, Tomasz 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37207 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37207 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37207/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37207/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37207/download/xml/ Environmental disturbances, being a consequence of human industrial activity, strongly influence the communities of plants and animals, causing impoverishment of species pool and reduction of the overall biodiversity. Restoration of stable ecological systems in such areas is difficult and depends on many factors, that influence the rate and effectivness of recolonization. The aim of the study was to compare the diversity and life history traits of ground beetle assemblages in recultivated and spontaneously regenerated postindustrial areas as well as reference forests. In addition the carabid co-occurrence pattern as a parameter evaluating the effectiveness of ecosystem restoration was studied. The following carabid life history traits were analysed: body size, dispersal power, food preferences, breeding type, and habitat preferences. During the field study 2036 specimens belonging to 36 Carabidae species were collected. NMDS analysis divided the ground beetle assemblages in relation to ecosystem types. ANOSIM showed significant differences in dissimilarity distances between assemblages from recultivated, spontaneously regenerated and reference areas. The analysis of the structure and life-history traits of ground beetle assemblages also showed significant differences. In recultivated dumps the rate of restoration was very slow and carabid assemblages structure and life history traits maintained the early successional character, revealing significantly higher abundance of herbivorous open-area species with medium body size, high dispersal power, and a spring breeding cycle. Moreover the co-occurrence pattern of ground beetle assemblages showed a random pattern of co-occurrence, as an effect of high extinction rate reflecting high disturbance level. In case of spontaneously regenerated dumps more effective restoration processes was observed. The co-occurrence pattern of ground beetles assemblages showed a non-random pattern (the mean simulated C-score value was significantly lower than the value generated for the empirical data). Such conditions were beneficial for more sensitive carabid species (mainly medium body-sized predators with low dispersal power and an autumn breeding cycle). We conclude that ground beetles could be an useful tool indicating the direction and effectiveness of ecosystem restoration in post-industrial areas. This study indicated that recultivation techniques without proper biological soil regeneration do not guarantee full restoration of ecosystems and provide conditions for species with wide ecological ranges. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae recultivation spontaneous succession co-occurrence life traits dump Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) as useful tool indicating the quality of restoration practices in post-industrial areas Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37059 2019-06-12 aca

Cornell University, Ithaca, United States of America author Liebherr, James https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9831-884X 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37059 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37059 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37059/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37059/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37059/download/xml/ The Hawaiian Archipelago is the most isolated oceanic island system in the World, separated from the nearest source areas by more than 4000 km. Five independent colonization events have resulted in diversification of a native carabid beetle fauna in excess of 400 known species. This diverse assemblage is disharmonic, with the major radiations restricted to the platynine genus Blackburnia Sharp (139 species), the subgenus Nesocidium Sharp of Bembidion Latreille (21 species), and the moriomorphine genus Mecyclothorax Sharp (239 species). Biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary attributes of these three radiations are compared in order to determine factors crucial to carabid beetle diversification in this most-isolated situation. Biogeographical attributes include the age of origin of the constituent radiation, the island likely colonized by its common ancestor, and the biological characteristics, where known, of the colonizing ancestors for each independent radiation. Ecological attributes include the amount of habitat specialization undergone during each radiation, taking into account the primordial habitat colonized and the subsequent pattern of occupation of different habitat types during diversification. Evolutionary attributes include brachyptery, body-size evolution, sexual selection, and the evolution of specialized body conformations. It is shown that ecological specialization—i.e., occupation of a diverse array of ecological zones and microhabitats—in concert with reduced dispersal ability brought on by evolution of brachyptery are positively associated with enhanced levels of diversification. Comparing sympatric island faunas, it is shown that the latter operates synergistically with body size, as the smaller-bodied Mecyclothorax beetles speciate much more rapidly than the larger-bodied Blackburnia on Maui and Hawai῾i Island. Nonetheless, small body size does not gaurantee high diversity, as Bembidion beetles attain body sizes similar to Mecyclothorax beetles. Age of origin of a radiation is a subsidiary criterion for diversification given that the Mecyclothorax radiation commenced only 1.2 Ma, whereas it is hypothesized that Blackburnia have been resident in the Hawaiian archipelago for upwards of 28 Ma. Thus especially for Blackburnia we are constrained in our ability to know all of the evolutionary products of the radiation due to extinction of presumably all or nearly all species that occupied the now-sunken islands northwest of the oldest high island of Kauai. We are fortunate to know of several extinct Blackburnia species discovered in lowland subfossil deposits in Kauai, and these species provide crucial information now regarding future patterns of extinction. Sexual selection can be demonstrated for the Bembidion subgenus Nesocidium, and is a likely explanation for genitalic evolution over parts of the Mecyclothorax radiation, but it is not a phenomenon pervasively associated with increased levels of speciation. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers biogeography body size cryptic species dispersal sexual selection speciation vicariance Evolution in Extremis: The When, How, and Why of Hawaiian Carabid Beetles Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37064 2019-06-12 aca

The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan author Shibuya, Sonomi 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37064 2019 funder Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 10.13039/501100001691 10.3897/aca.2.e37064 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37064/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37064/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37064/download/xml/ We studied flight ability, feeding habits and fecundity in carabids. Based on these traits, we investigated characteristics of five species of Harpalus, Synuchus and Carabus as bioindicators of changing environments.  Three species of Harpalus, H. griseus, H. eous and H. tridens, showed different degrees of flight ability. We examined the morphology and the length of hind wings, and also investigated by dissection the phenology of flight muscles. The ratio of hind wing to body length (HWBL) was 0.93 in H. tridens, 0.99 in H. eous and 1.02 in H. griseus. The aerial catches ratio to total catches (aerial / aerial+ pitfall traps) of H. tridens was lower (16%) than the other two (72, 76%), and the proportion of individuals with flight muscles of H. tridens (29%) was lower than the other two (71, 77%), indicating H. tridens has lowest flight ability. All three species exhibited flight muscle polymorphism. The hind wings of Synuchus cycloderus were mono-morphic macropterous with 0.75 (HWBL). However, no individuals were caught by aerial traps, and none possessed the flight muscles, indicating this species does not fly. The hind wings of Carabus procerulus were mono-morphic stick-shaped brachyptery without the flight muscle. Flight is important trait for food searching and dispersal. Gut dissection revealed that three Harpalus species depended mainly on seeds and partly on arthropods. The fact that animal fragments were found more frequently in the guts of H. tridens than the other two indicated a close relationship between flight ability and diet. Through gut dissection, we found S. cycloderus was a generalist predator. It preys not only on larvae but also adults of small arthropods including collembola. The food remains of guts of C. procerulus consisted of amorphous fluid, and cuticles were hardly detected. It suggested that the inside of prey was exclusively consumed by extra-oral digestion rather than chewing. Fecundity was assessed by gonad dissection through the number of ovarian eggs and their size. S. cycloderus had many eggs with small size, by contrast C. procerulus and three Harpalus species had few-large eggs. Many studies have shown that ground beetles responded differently to vegetation disturbances. We interpreted these results from their ecological traits. Our previous study of the vegetation disturbance effects on ground beetles demonstrated that C. procerulus declined in number was accompanied with decline in body size. Food shortage induced the reduction in both number and body size of C. procerulus. On the other hand, the number of S. cycloderus significantly increased. Although some of their prey were reduced, as generalist predators, they alternatively consumed other prey that has increased greatly in number. The trait of S. cycloderus with many eggs has also great potential for population explosion. The numbers of H. griseus and H. eous were not affected by the disturbance, while H. tridens decreased. Shortage of prey organisms caused negative effects on H. tridens compared to H. griseus and H. eous which depend more on seeds. We have been studying ground beetles in Japan, and already have some basic knowledge, such as hind wings, flight ability, feeding habits, reproductive phenology and seasonal activity for 78 key species. Ground beetles are excellent bioindicators. Our bottom up approach by the dissection of ground beetles collected periodically through the year would be essential when we have to face with extreme conditions, such as global warning. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers bioindicator brachyptery diet dissection flight muscle gut contents hind wing macroptery Comparative study of biology on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) - flight ability, feeding habits and fecundity Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37073 2019-06-12 aca

MUSE-Science Museum, Trento, Italy author Gobbi, Mauro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1704-4857 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37073 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37073 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37073/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37073/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37073/download/xml/ Models that relate species distributions and climate to predict the future geographical range of species in response to forecast climate change have shown that species living at high altitudes are expected to be particularly affected. Presently, the global trend towards a rapid climate warming represents a major concern for high-altitude carabid beetles, specifically for the populations living in glacialised mountain areas. Most of the high altitude carabid species are endemic and cold-adapted, have low dispersal abilities and present small and/or isolated populations. These threats are triggering an increase of their extinction risk. Some researchers have demonstrated both local-scale extinctions and upward shift to higher altitudes. A key point is whether the losses determined by climate change could be mitigated by species’ survival in micro-refugium areas. Traditionally, the current species distribution in climate-limited ecosystems, like those at high altitude, have been described underlining the role of cold-stage refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 22000 years BP). On the other hand, no studies addressed the question if the present-day distribution of cold-adapted mountain species is driven by climate conditions occurring during the past and/or current warm periods. More recently, the potential role of some ice-related mountain landforms as warm-stage refugia was documented. It suggests that these landforms could be able to promote the long-term survival of cold-adapted species when the surrounding habitats become climatically unfavorable, thus more effort should be done to investigate the ecology these kind of harsh habitats. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae Climate Change Glacier retreat Permafrost Refugia. Global warNing: what we know and what we should know about carabid beetles in high altitude habitats Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37074 2019-06-12 aca

University of Milan, Milan, Italy MUSE-Science Museum, Trento, Italy author Valle, Barbara https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4829-4776 University of Milan, Milan, Italy author Ambrosini, Roberto University of Milan, Milan, Italy author Caccianiga, Marco https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9715-1830 MUSE-Science Museum, Trento, Italy author Gobbi, Mauro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1704-4857 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37074 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37074 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37074/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37074/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37074/download/xml/ Nebria germari (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a cold-adapted species currently restricted to high altitude habitats of the Eastern Alps and exhibits fragmented distribution patterns suggesting refugial occurrence. It is a brachypterous species (thus with low dispersal ability) and it has nocturnal forage behaviour (mainly predating springtails and midges). Since N. germari is an endemic and a climate-sensitive species, we performed a study aimed at describing the past distribution on the Dolomites (Italy), the ecology and the current population dynamic on debris-covered glaciers of this area where it is still abundant. The past distribution was investigated by reviewing literature and analysing the labels of the specimens preserved in some Museum collections. We found that, until the second half of the last century, the lower altitudinal limit of this species was around 2000 m asl. Specifically, it was abundant in alpine grasslands on carbonate substrata (Carex firma-dominated). Field data collected in the last ten years demonstrated the current extinction in this grassland type of the Southern Alps, with a consequent contraction of the distribution. Currently, N. germari is still abundant in high altitude, north-faced, scree slopes with macroporal soil structure, in deep underground and on debris-covered glaciers due to its preference for cold temperatures (i.e. terrains with average annual temperature of ca. 0°C). Preliminary results obtained analysing, through the snow-free period, the larval, sub-adult and adult abundance patterns on debris-covered glaciers suggest that, in this kind of harsh habitat, N. germari is a spring rather than an autumn breeder as was documented in the last century for the populations found in high alpine prairies. In addition, the population size seems to decrease from the snowmelt to the beginning of the snow period and to increase with the percentage of coarse fraction of the terrain. Conversely, no significant relation was found between the population size and the abundance of preys (Collembola) and competitors (Araneae). text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae Cold-adapted species Debris-covered glaciers Dolomites. Nebria germari Heer, 1837 – insight about the distribution and ecology of a climate-sensitive species of the Eastern Alps Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37076 2019-06-12 aca

National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Ratajc, Urška https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8990-8813 National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Kapla, Andrej National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Ambrožič, Špela National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia author Vrezec, Al https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4699-6451 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37076 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37076 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37076/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37076/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37076/download/xml/ In the past few decades, there has been a sharp decline in specialised and rare species of ground beetles (Carabus) throughout Europe. Our aim was to determine the distribution trends of chosen species and their conservation status in Slovenia. Based on historical and recent data over the period from 1850 to 2018, distribution maps for 25 species of genus Carabus have been made. The reduction in distribution area size was used to evaluate the decline of each species in Slovenia and for assigning them to different categories of threat status. Our results show that a significant number of species from genus Carabus are in decline. Open habitat species of ground beetles (C. cancellatus), ground beetles that are dependent on mature, unmanaged forests (C. glabratus, C. croaticus) and species, very sensitive to climate change (C. irregularis) were found to be the most endangered. Currently, only 3 species are on the Red list of threatened species in Slovenia (C. auronitens, C. gigas and C. variolosus nodulosus), and based on our results, at least 10 species of ground beetles should be added to the existing list. Two species of ground beetles, C. kollari and C. montivagus, have already disappeared from Slovenia in the last few decades, therefore intensive ecological studies of the remaining species and immediate effective conservation strategies are essential. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Distribution changes of Carabusspecies in Slovenia: historical data analysis Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37128 2019-06-12 aca

Institute of Zoology, Hamburg, Germany author Drees, Claudia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2743-395X University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom author Schuett, Wiebke University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom author Yarwood, Elizabeth Leuphana Universitat, Luneburg, Germany author Assmann, Thorsten https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9203-769X 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37128 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37128 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37128/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37128/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37128/download/xml/ Individuals need to find both suitable environmental conditions and mating partners which might be especially difficult for solitary species. Here, we experimentally studied the role of olfactory cues in attracting conspecifics in several forest-dwelling Carabus species. We considered two possible ways of attraction, general aggregation and sexual attraction. In a field experiment we used single male and female beetles as baits in dry pitfall traps and compared the catches of these traps to those in empty ones. Depending on the species, we found suggestive evidence for aggregation behaviour and/or sexual attraction. Our study highlights that olfactory cues play an important role in Carabus but the underlying mechanisms remain to be studied. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Aggregation and sexual attraction in Carabus – a field experiment Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37129 2019-06-12 aca

Institute of Zoology, Hamburg, Germany author Drees, Claudia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2743-395X Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany author Boutaud, Estève https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9997-2165 Am Schleplingsbach 36, Stadthagen, Germany author Homburg, Katharina Universität Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany author Nolte, Dorothea School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom author Schuett, Wiebke Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany author Zumstein, Pascale author Assmann, Thorsten https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9203-769X 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37129 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37129 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37129/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37129/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37129/download/xml/ In times of insect decline, long-term data become more and more important. Such data allow insights into long-term trends and an analysis of possible drivers underlying temporal changes of community and population structure. Using data from 25 years of continuous ground beetle trapping in an ancient woodland located in a large nature reserve in Northern Germany, we analysed temporal changes at both community and population level and identified potential underlying drivers. Ground beetle species significantly declined over time but biomass and number of trapped individuals remained constant. As the habitat was kept stable und unchanged in the last 25 years we also study the influence of external drivers such as climatic variables on phenology and population trends of the most-abundant species. We discuss our results in light of the ongoing insect decline and climate change. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Long-term trends in carabids over 25 years – community and population level analyses Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37132 2019-06-12 aca

University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary author Magura, Tibor https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9130-6122 University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary author Tóthmérész, Bela https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-7668 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37132 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37132 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37132/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37132/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37132/download/xml/ Habitat edges are increasingly important worldwide because of forest fragmentation and the loss of natural habitats. Reduction in habitat area, increased isolation of fragments are considered to be the primary cause of species decline and extinction in fragmented landscapes. Edge effect is a key determinant, since most effects of fragmentation attributed to patch area may be scaled-up edge effect. Moreover, the isolation of patches is basically determined by the filter function (permeability) of edges. The distance that edge effects extend into the adjacent core (interior) habitat (the depth of edge influence, DEI) is a central issue in edge studies, as it fundamentally influences environmental properties, composition and structure of core habitats, all which significantly control species occurrences. Most previous studies on DEI neglected the impact of origin and the processes maintaining edges, although the structural and functional properties of edges determined by their history may modulate the permeability of edges, and consequently DEI. Evaluating available information on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in forest edges, we show that both species traits and edge history affect DEI on ground beetles. We found that DEI on abundance of herbivore, omnivore and predator ground beetle species is similar in natural edges, and edges maintained by agriculture, while it is generally penetrated over greater distances into the forests across edges repeatedly disturbed by forestry or other anthropogenic interventions than across edges maintained by natural processes. We found extreme edge effect across edges under forestry activities, as DEI on abundance of predator species is penetrated into the forest interiors up to ≤ 300 m. According to our findings DEI is more pronounced for predators and across edges created and maintained by forestry operations, suggesting outstanding sensitivity of higher trophic level organisms to fragmentation caused by forestry activities. Our result suggests that in planning the optimal size and shape of fragments for ecosystem-based forest management, to provide a core zone, a minimum area of 50 ha of circular forest fragments is required for maintaining an intact ground beetle assemblage. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers carabids dispersal edge effect filter function forest edges invasion meta-analysis Trophic level and edge history modulate the depth of edge influence Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37134 2019-06-12 aca

Laboratory of Evaluation and Assessment of Natural Resources, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland author Schwerk, Axel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2284-3776 Laboratory of Evaluation and Assessment of Natural Resources, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland author Jojczyk, Agata Laboratory of Evaluation and Assessment of Natural Resources, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland author Dymitryszyn, Izabela 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37134 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37134 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37134/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37134/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37134/download/xml/ Species diversity in a given landscape depends to a high degree on its habitat diversity. However, the specificity of different environmental factors may play a different role and individual habitats may undergo changes in time (succession). Moreover, some large-scale environmental factors may affect the habitats in the same way but differ from year to year. A long-term study was carried out with the aim to study the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of individual study site over the years and the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of the set of all study sites in selected years. In order to deal with this task, the carabid beetles assemblages on different study sites in a forest-field landscape in Poland were collected using pitfall traps over a period of ten years (2009-2018). The sites were a planted pine forest (12 years old in 2009), a planted pine forest (31 years old in 2009), a naturally-regenerated pine stand (about 10 years old in 2009), a naturally-regenerated pine forest (about 67 years old in 2009), an naturally regenerated pine forest with a share of oak, beech and birch (about 82 years old in 2009), two irregularly-mown sites without biomass removal, and a regularly-mown site with biomass removal. With respect to individual study sites the impact of the factors age (year of the study), temperature and rainfall in the year of inventory, and temperature and rainfall in the preceding year was tested. The impact of the factors age (stand age in the respective year), carbon in the organic layer, carbon in the mineral soil and distance from the nearest forest was analyzed for the set of all study sites in the years 2011 and 2015. Altogether, 9208 individuals belonging to 77 species were collected. Redundancy Analyses (RDA) indicated that on the individual study sites the year of study was generally positively correlated with temperature and negatively with rainfall, indicating increasing temperatures and decreasing amount of rainfall over the years. For study sites in forest stands in most cases the rainfall was a significant factor, especially the rainfall in the year before the inventory. For study sites in open areas both rainfall and temperature showed significant results. Using Canonical Correspondence Analyses (CCA) for analyzing the impact of the factors on carabid assemblages of the full set of study sites in 2011 and 2015, it was shown that age was positively correlated with carbon in the organic layer, but not with carbon in the mineral soil. Significant factors were carbon in the organic layer and distance from the nearest forest. The results of the study enlarge our knowledge on the impact of different predictable and stochastic environmental factors on the formation of carabid beetle assemblages in rural landscapes. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae Landscape Succession Forest post-agricultural area Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37135 2019-06-12 aca

Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland author Schwerk, Axel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2284-3776 Faculty of Animal Sciences, Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Warsaw, Poland author Klich, Daniel 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37135 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37135 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37135/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37135/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37135/download/xml/ The European bison (Bison bonasus (L.)) is the biggest living wild terrestrial animal in Europe. Because of its grazing feeding type, it has a strong impact on the flora and fauna. In 2017 a study was started with the aim to analyze the impact of European bison grazing on carabid beetle assemblages over the years 2017-2020 in Poland using pitfall traps. The study consists of basically two main experimental parts: a study on five meadow sites located in Augustowska forest complex (northeastern Poland), and a study on ten sites (two meadows, eight forests) in two enclosures (southern Poland). The plots in Augustowska forest complex were studied in 2017, before release of new population (reintroduced in 2018), and will be studied again in 2019 (after two year presence of the new population). The plots in enclosures were studied in 2018. In the present paper the results from two enclosures will be presented. In the enclosure “Jankowice”, situated in Kobiór forest District (south of Katowice), two meadow sites (one grazed, one non-grazed) and four forest sites (two grazed, two non-grazed) were located. Grazing intensity was about 0.06 individuals per ha. The enclosure “Niepołomice”, situated in Niepołomice Forest District (east of Kraków), had four forest sites (two grazed, two non-grazed). Grazing intensity was about 0.4 individuals per ha. Altogether, 9615 individuals belonging to 61 species were collected. Correspondence analysis (CA) and Cluster analyses showed that, independently from bison grazing, the meadow sites significantly differed from the forest sites. Regarding the forest sites the enclosures were separated from each other. Bison grazed sites were not separated from non-grazed sites in the enclosure “Jankowice”, but they were separated in the enclosure “Niepołomice”. Even if habitat type seems to be of major importance, depending on grazing intensity (individuals per ha) bison grazing may have an impact on formation of carabid assemblages, too. However, the preliminary results presented here have to be verified and complemented during the next years of the study. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae Bison bonasus grazing biological diversity Comparison of carabid assemblages in European bison grazed and non-grazed areas – first results Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37156 2019-06-12 aca

Californian Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, United States of America author Kavanaugh, David https://orcid.org/https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8777-9771 Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Maddison, David R. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-3824 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, United States of America author Simison, Brian University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States of America author Schoville, Sean University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany author Schmidt, Joachim Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart, Germany author Faille, Arnaud https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3274-5915 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37156 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37156 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37156/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37156/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37156/download/xml/ To explore phylogenetic relationships among members of the carabid supertribe Nebriitae, we sampled DNA fragments extracted from adults of 244 nebriite species-group taxa, representing about 25% of known species-group taxa and 93% (38 of 41) of the currently accepted nebriite genus-group taxa. Sequence data were recorded for eight gene fragments (a total of 5654 bases) from nuclear ribosomal, mitochondrial, and nuclear protein coding genes. The resulting phylogeny is based on both individual gene and concatenated gene analyses using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods, which produced nearly identical results. Most nodes are well supported by both high bootstrap and high posterior probability values, and many of them also by unique (autapomorphic) bases. Many of the previously recognized genus-group taxa are supported as monophyletic, but others are not. Alternative reclassifications that reflect monophyletic groups are still being considered, based on the molecular analyses along with considerations of ease of group identification and geographical distribution. Of the two alternative reclassifications being considered, one requires the designation of 16 new subgeneric synonymies and the other only nine new subgeneric synonymies plus the recognition of three new subgenera. However, under both schemes, Nippononebria Uéno (along with its subgenus, Vancouveria Kavanaugh) is re-established as a genus separate from Nebria and sister to Leistus Frölich; and Archastes is embedded within a monophyletic genus Nebria and closely related to subgenera Oreonebria Daniel and Orientonebria Shilenkov.  Additional details will be reported in the presentation.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Nebriitae Ground beetles DNA taxonomy molecular phylogenetics evolutionary tree Phylogeny of the supertribe Nebriitae (Coleoptera: Carabidae) based on analyses of molecular sequence data--some surprises.  Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37158 2019-06-12 aca

Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Gomez, Antonio https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9842-0342 Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Maddison, David R. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-3824 2019-06-12 2019-06-12 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37158 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37158 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37158/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37158/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37158/download/xml/ Some sperm traits are now recognized as ornaments akin to peacock’s tails evolving under cryptic female choice or weapons in sexual conflicts, but there are still few studies addressing patterns and process in sperm-female evolution. We are studying sperm-female evolution in ground beetles of the genus Dyschirius. Male Dyschirius make groups of sperm, termed conjugates, by pairing sperm to non-cellular rods, or spermatostyles. This pairing creates a conflict for storage space in the female’s reproductive tract between sperm and the spermatostyle, which is incapable of fertilizing eggs. We speculate that the conjugates of some Dyschirius that include large spermatostyles with few sperm are ornaments. We hypothesize that increased spermathecal storage volume is positively correlated with larger spermatostyles and that male genitalic complexity is negatively correlated with elaboration of sperm. We gathered morphological trait data on sperm conjugates and male and female genitalia from several species of Dyschirius. We analyzed these data in a phylogenetic framework using a robust Dyschirius species tree derived from DNA sequence data. We present preliminary results from this ongoing study and solicit feedback from the ECM community. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers post mating sexual selection evolutionary tradeoffs ornaments Conflicts in sperm: how do genitalia coevolve with elaborate sperm? Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37233 2019-06-14 aca

Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany author Boutaud, Estève https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9997-2165 University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany author Nolte, Dorothea Institute of Zoology, Hamburg, Germany author Drees, Claudia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2743-395X author Assmann, Thorsten https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9203-769X 2019-06-14 2019-06-14 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37233 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37233 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37233/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37233/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37233/download/xml/ Biodiversity face ever-increasing threats from the consequences of various human activities Conservation corridors have long been considered a viable solution to help counteract biodiversity loss. However, corridors simultaneously increase fragmentation for non-target habitats. To overcome this challenge, semi-open habitats, which are a mixture of open and woodland habitats, have been proposed as they may enable simultaneous dispersal of both stenotopic open and woodland species. Despite the fact that they could be used by a great range of species, strong interspecific variability exists with regards to the number of individuals effectively recorded in such environment. Consequently, generalisation about their effectiveness remains difficult. Life-history traits such as body size, hibernation stage, trophic guild, and habitat specialisation could be successfully used to enhance prediction with regards to dispersal success. We used generalized linear modelling to study the relationship of ground beetles species traits and dispersal success into semi-open habitat in two regions of Germany. Our preliminary results indicate that larger species, as well as species overwintering as larvae, tend to be more successful when dispersing into semi-open habitat than smaller species or species overwintering as adult. In addition, species locally abundant are also recorded in higher number. In the light of these results, semi-open corridors do not appear to be the best strategy to increase connectivity for species with small body size or overwintering as adult. For such species, priority should be given to traditional corridors whenever possible. Source habitats need also attention as population size will strongly determine the usefulness of such corridors. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Life-history traits matter for dispersal into semi-open habitat corridors: Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37075 2019-06-14 aca

Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic author González, Ezequiel https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0411-1771 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic author Seidl, Miroslav Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic author Štrobl, Martin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3748-1210 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic author Kadlec, Tomáš Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel author Ferrante, Marco Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic author Knapp, Michal 2019-06-14 2019-06-14 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37075 2019 funder Grantová Agentura České Republiky 10.13039/501100001824 10.3897/aca.2.e37075 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37075/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37075/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37075/download/xml/ Non-crop habitats can act as refuge for insects in agricultural landscapes and increase ecosystem services (ESs) in neighboring arable fields. Among the different types of non-crop habitats, field defects are temporary patches where sown plants are poorly developed and other plant species emerge. These defects can be common and large in years with extreme weather conditions. However, their relevance as habitat for beneficial insects and ESs provision is unknown. Here, we quantified two ESs (pest and weed seed predation) in field defects within oilseed rape crops and related ESs levels with the activity-density of ground beetles and temperature. In 10 fields, we used artificial caterpillars made of plasticine and seed cards of two weed species (Taraxacum sp. and Stellaria sp.) to quantify ESs in two sampling periods (spring and summer) and in three habitat types: field defects, standardly grown crop (field interiors) and crop-defect boundaries. Ground beetles were sampled using pitfall traps and classified into feeding guilds and body size classes. Insects and mammals were the main pest predators and predation increased in summer, but did not differ among habitats. Seed predation rates for both species were significantly higher in summer. Predation of Taraxacum seeds was higher at field interiors, whereas predation of Stellaria was significantly higher at field interiors and defects, compared to crop-defect boundaries. Insect predation increased with the activity-density of medium and large carnivorous carabids, whereas seed predation for both weed species was positively related to the activity-density of medium-sized herbivorous carabids. Finally, temperature was negatively linked to predation of artificial caterpillars and seeds of Taraxacum.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Biological control Ephemeral habitats Ground beetles Non-crop habitats Oilseed Sentinel prey Pest and weed seed predation in field defects within oilseed rape crops Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37430 2019-06-18 aca

Bavarian LWF, Freising, Germany author Müller-Kroehling, Stefan 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37430 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37430 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37430/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37430/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37430/download/xml/ A new understanding of ”characteristic species“ according to the Habitats Directive is presented, including a suggested definition from a scientific point of view and practical implementation. The Habitats Directive includes the mandatory evaluation criterion “characteristic species”. Although obligatory, it has largely been neglected and applied inconsistently. Reasons are the undefined character of the term and very different attempts for its interpretation. In several cases, particularly from the field of carabidology, maximum fidelity of the species has been suggested as the best criterion for defining characteristic species. In other words, the species must not occur in any other habitat type, but should be restricted intirely to the habitat it is characteristic for. As a result, for many habitats there are no, or at best very few characteristic species if this definition is strictly applied, and in many cases no characteristic species could be found even in very well-devolped and large-enough sites where the habitat occurs. Here, a completely different definiton is presented. Exclusive fidelity is decidedly not required, since this criterion aims at defining character species, which by definition serve a different purpose, which is defining a habitat, not characterizing its conservation status. The set of characteristic species of a habitat should be defined based on their statistically confirmed affinity to the habitat and an affinity or fidelity to at least one key habitat factor of the habitat type concerned. Such a key factor could be wetness in the case of wetlands, or peaty soil for bog habitats, or scree for ravines, etc. The application of characteristic species in practice, like in the mandatory assessment of projects and plans under article 6 of the habitats directive should primarily focus on the effects of the plan or purpose to be assessed. Out of the pool of characteristic species of a given habitat, those species which depend on the relevant key factors of the habitat which are possibly altered by the project or plan to be assessed can be selected and their well-being evaluated or monitored. In a second application, which is that for management of a site (also under article 6), the degree of completeness of the pool of characteristic species allows the evaluation of the conservation status. Important conclusions as to which key factors might be lacking or are in an insufficient stage can be drawn from the characteristic species missing at a given site. This can be a property related to habitat tradition, size of the habitat, isolation or certain traits of the soil or the stand types to be evaluated, depending on the particular species and their statistically proven requirements. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae EU habitats directive fauna flora habitat directive ffh directive natura 2000 characteristic species proper assessment of projects of plans habitat management article 6 What are the "characteristic species" of the habitats directive? A new statistics-driven approach connecting species, habitats and key habitat characteristics Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37359 2019-06-18 aca

National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America author Zamorano, Laura S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8396-0482 National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America author Erwin, Terry Californian Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, United States of America author Kavanaugh, David https://orcid.org/https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8777-9771 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37359 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37359 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37359/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37359/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37359/download/xml/ Understanding the factors responsible for spatial heterogeneity in species diversity is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. The Amazon Basin harbors the highest species richness for a variety of groups, yet whether the Amazon is a cradle or museum of diversity continuous to be an open debate. In this study, we evaluate the phylogenetic relationships of an assemblage of beetles found in seven different habitats within a lowland tropical rainforest in the Ecuadorian Amazon in order to evaluate if the patterns of diversification are consistent with an adaptive radiation or represent the accumulation of species in proportion to time since divergence from a common ancestor. We combined molecular sequence data with morphometric and ecological data to examine the relationship between species diversification and disparity in eco-morphological traits. Phylogenetic analyses identified 8 clades of lachnophorines. A lineage through time analysis revealed a constant rate of divergence. Geometric morphometric analyses based on 46 landmarks revealed significant morphological shape variation among species within clades that correlated with habitat occupancy. Species with a slender pronotum tended to occur in open environments, such as sandy beaches adjacent to water, whereas species with shorter, broader pronotum and elytra inhabited leaf-litter and arboreal habitats. In addition, we found evidence of morphological convergence related to habitat use indicating that Lachnophorini radiation in the Amazon-Basin is accompanied by local ecological adaptation. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Morphological disparity adaptive radiation rates of phenotypic evolution geometric-morphometric ecological speciation. Drivers of diversification in a continental radiation of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lachnophorini)  Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37362 2019-06-18 aca

Seeweg 10, 23942 Gross Schwansee, Germany author Mossakowski, Dietrich AOPK ČR, Kaplanova 1931/1, 148 00 Praha 11 – Chodov, Czech Republic author Hejda, Eadek Bavarian LWF, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 1, 85354 Freising, Germany author Müller-Kroehling, Stefan Studienzentrum Naturkunde, Weinzöttlstraße 16, 8045 Graz, Austria author Paill, Wolfgang Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 119 Calea Aradului, 300645 Timisoara, Romania author Prunar, Florin https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4318-1107 Via Cialla, 47, 33040 Prepotto (UD), Italy author Rapuzzi, Ivan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5644-6218 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37362 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37362 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37362/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37362/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37362/download/xml/ Starting point of this study was the problem considering the status of Carabus variolous and C. nodulosus: French and some German authors classified them as species, most German authors as subspecies and Casale as semispecies. We performed analyses of mitochondrial genes (COI-5', COI-3', ND5) as well as nuclear ones (ITS2, wingless) and analysed the DNA sequences using Seqotron, CLUSTALX (editing and alignment), MEGA, DNAML, SplitsTree (phylogeny and network), 4SALE (compensatory base changes), and BEAST (coalescence). We could study specimens from all regions except the western most part of the distribution area (Massif Central and French Jura, France). The mitochondrial DNA data resulted in a geographic pattern of high diversity within both taxa indicating a series of glacial refuges. In addition, a considerably large area was found were introgressive hybridisation took place in the past - at least two times by nodulosus of different regions into variolosus. The nuclear DNA data show a clear and constant difference between both taxa. In consequence, this complex of forms may be characterised as semispecies from an evolutionary viewpoint but taxonomically as one species because of  hybridisation and the lack of compensatory bases changes. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Species status introgressive hybridisation multiple refuges High molecular diversity in the Carabus variolosus/nodulosus complex Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37366 2019-06-18 aca

Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Maddison, David R. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-3824 University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America author Will, Kipling https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7056-9011 University of Arizona, Tucson, United States of America author Moore, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4441-6203 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, United States of America author Kanda, Kojun University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America author Gill, Aman University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America author Perez, Sean https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4940-0940 University of Rochester, Rochester, United States of America author Sproul, John Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Pflug, James Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Boyd, Olivia Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Gomez, R. Antonio https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9842-0342 Museum of Southwestern Biology, Albuquerque, United States of America author Miller, Kelly University of Texas, Austin, United States of America author Wild, Alexander 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37366 2019 funder National Science Foundation 10.13039/100000001 10.3897/aca.2.e37366 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37366/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37366/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37366/download/xml/ I will present results from our phylogenetic study of the family Carabidae, based on DNA sequences of six gene fragments for about 550 carabid species representing about 80 tribes, as well as transcriptomic data and hybrid capture genomic data for a representative sampling of lineages.  Many of the morphologically delimited groups are confirmed as monophyletic, as are relationships discovered in previous sequence-based studies (e.g., Brachinini is sister to Harpalinae (sensu Erwin 1985), which combined are sister to Moriomorphini; Pseudomorphini are embedded within Harpalinae, and are related to graphipterines and orthogoniines).  But there are also surprising results, such as the unexpected placements of Agonicini, Celaenephes, and Bradycellus.  As analyses of the data have not yet been completed, there will be additional discoveries this summer, about which I will report in my talk.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae transcriptome hybrid capture phylogenomic Phylogeny of carabid beetles based upon DNA sequences (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37400 2019-06-18 aca

Crop Research Institute, Prague 6 Ruzyne, Czech Republic author Saska, Pavel 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37400 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37400 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37400/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37400/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37400/download/xml/ Meta-analysis represents an approach of synthesizing many independent data sets, and is useful in situations when abundant literature provides no conclusive evidence. Besides the quality of the research itself, the value of an individual study for meta-analysis depends to the large extent also on the quality of data presentation. The literature based on carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as the study is enormous, therefore there is a great potential for the use in meta-analyses. In this paper I put together some notes which arose during my work on meta-analysis focused on the effects of field and crop management on populations of carabid beetles inside the crop fields of Europe and America north of Mexico. The aim of this contribution is to provide a set of recommendations which may potentially improve the use of each individual paper in future meta-analyses, and thus increase the impact of the original paper as well as the generality of conclusions drawn from future meta-analyses, hence based on larger sample size. Be accurate in describing the treatments. For example, “low” and “high intensity of management” is not enough. Mention also details that are constant across treatments, but may still provide useful information. E.g. “practice usual for the area” is not enough. Be precise with describing spatio-temporal structure in the study. Provide redundant information so everyone can check if he/she understood well the hierarchy of the experiment and the number of replications associated with each stratum. A scheme may be useful. Report the grand totals as well as treatment totals for both “abundance” and species richness. Text, tables or supplementary materials is preferred. If using mean values, always make it clear what is the number of replicates and provide standard errors. But, remember that total or treatment species richness cannot be reconstructed from the mean! Be explicit in stating what the means represent, also in figures. Expressions like “Mean abundance” are not enough. Provide species lists with the greatest resolution possible. Most journals allow for supplementary materials where this information can be provided.   Remember that data can also be extracted from figures. Provide high resolution and accurate figures. For example, large data points on a line make data extraction difficult.   With little extra effort during the preparation phase, the impact of your paper and the use of your data may considerably increase in the future. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers How to make a meta-analyst happy – what to report in your studies and how Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37401 2019-06-18 aca

Crop Research Institute, Prague 6 Ruzyne, Czech Republic author Saska, Pavel INRA, Dijon, France author Frei, Britta INRA, Nogent-sur-Marne, France author Makowski, David Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands author Van der Werf, Wopke 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37401 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37401 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37401/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37401/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37401/download/xml/ Recent studies have shown dramatic decline in the abundance and diversity of insects over the last decades, including pollinators, lepidopterans, flying insects, parasitoids or epigeal predators, such as carabid and staphylinid beetles. Many of these studies are based on regional data, therefore it is hard to draw a conclusion about the generality of the reported effects across multiple groups and regions. In this paper we focus on testing the hypothesis of insect decline in annual arable crops over a wide geographical range, using meta-analysis of data on carabid beetles as a model group. We extracted pitfall trap catches and observed species richness from 105 independent publications originating from Europe and North America. Data were from a variety of arable annual crops in 22 countries, and spanned a period of 42 years. As sampling effort varied notably across studies, we standardized catches by trapping effort, and explored different options for calculating trapping effort from data. The data over time did not show any evidence of a decline in carabid numbers nor species caught over the 42 years covered by the dataset. A possible explanation for this finding is that carabid beetles living in these habitats are adapted to periodical disturbance by either withstanding these disturbances on site or by periodically re-colonizing fields from adjacent habitats. Although local decreases in carabid populations are documented in the literature as a result of agricultural intensification or landscape simplification, at the broader geographical scale, such a decline is not supported by the data. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers No evidence for decline of carabid beetles in European and North-American arable fields; a meta-analysis Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37426 2019-06-18 aca

Bavarian LWF, Freising, Germany author Müller-Kroehling, Stefan 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37426 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37426 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37426/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37426/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37426/download/xml/ Peatland species are endangered because of peat extraction and drenching of peatland in many regions, and thus are of great conservation concern. Often times, the trait of being "tyrphobiontic" or "tyrphopilous" is defined differently in the literature, yielding ambigous results. Frequently, studies of peatland fauna do not clearly define which species are characteristic of peatlands, instead focussing on other traits like red data book status etc. The group of peatland specialists should be definied by their affinity to the habitat trait of peaty soil. For many species, further factors are also relevant, like habitat tradition, elevation and regional climate, vegetation types etc., but peaty soil is a common denominator. The "Bavarian bog species basket" lists all species from different species groups that are bog species, grouping them into three clearly defined categories of peatland affinity. For carabids, a list of all 26 species in that basked is presented, and examples provided how these differ in their affinity to different bog habitats, and to bog habitats overall. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae peatland bogs fens bog forests tyrphobiontic species tyrphophilous species species basket Carabid beetles in peatlands - what are bog species? Clear definitions of tyrphobiontic and tyrphophilic species as used in the "Bavarian bog species basket"  Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37427 2019-06-18 aca

Bavarian LWF, Freising, Germany author Müller-Kroehling, Stefan TUM (formerly), Freising, Germany author Jantsch, Matthias 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37427 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37427 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37427/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37427/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37427/download/xml/ We studied the effects of global warming and rising temperatures on the ground beetle fauna of Bavarian beech forests using the space for time approach (false time series), and did so in two projects, at two geographical scales: firstly, a Bavarian-wide gradient of 50 plots in beech forests, and second a regional gradient in the Bavarian Forest in the mountains in eastern Bavaria consisting of 48 plots, which was not restricted to beech forests but also included subalpine spruce forests. For purposes of validation, we used as a backdrop data from 413 additional plots all across Bavaria from a wide range of forest habitats. We found five species that would be favoured and six species that would be disadvantaged by rising temperatures in beech forests. For another five species the conditions within the gradient studied reach both their minimum and their maximum temperatures. As a consequence of increasing temperatures there will be winners and losers in these forests and the species composition of ground beetle communities will change. Approximately the same number of species is likely to profit as will be affected negatively. However, when considering the “global responsibility species” for Germany, the balance is negative. It is imporant to note that species may react differently in different habitats and at different regional scales. Some species migtht be more endangered in a local gradient than in a regional gradient, and vice versa, and examples are provided for this. Climate effects proven for a certain habitat must not be the same for other habitats even within the same region if these were not included in the study design. These limitations must be taken into consideration when applying the results of such studies and especially when generalizing them. The benefits of a true time series compared to the popular "false time serices" provided by an elevational gradient are also highlighted using some examples. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae climate change elevational gradient false time series true time series beech forests spruce forests. Carabid beetles in a regional and a country-wide elevation gradient of Bavarian forests: differences and thoughts on the value of false time series approaches Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37429 2019-06-18 aca

Bavarian LWF, Freising, Germany author Müller-Kroehling, Stefan LWF (formerly), Freising, Germany author Hohmann, Georg LfL, Freising, Germany author Burmeister, Johannes TU Dresden, Dresden-Tharandt, Germany author Helbig, Christiane Thünen-Institut, Großhansdorf, Germany author Liesebach, Mirko TU Dresden, Dresden-Tharandt, Germany author Müller, Michael TU Munich, Munich, Germany author Zehlius, Wolfgang Universität Halle, Halle, Germany author Lübke-Al Hussein, Marita Universität Halle (formerly), Halle, Germany author Al Hussein, Ismail 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37429 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37429 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37429/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37429/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37429/download/xml/ Because of their monoculture and even-aged plantation character, often highly mechanized harvesting methods and very short rotation cycles for a woody plant crop, the functions of short rotation coppices (SRC) with regard to biodiversity are often thought to be limited. The surprisingly large number studies conducted yielded varying, in some aspects inconclusive results. Most studies and reviews conducted so far concluded that only SRC in the establishment phase after planting are of particular value for biodiversity and nature conservation. In order to achieve a better understanding of biodiversity functions of SRC with the potential to be generalized, we conducted a meta study combining existing ground beetle data from 14 projects with a total of 73 plots from SRC in West Central Europe (Germany) and Czechia. The results show that SRC not only have benefits for biodiversity by providing endangered pioneer species an ephemeral pioneer habitat (particularly during the establishment phase of the SRC), but also do so at the fringes like their edges and in clearings where trees failed to properly establish. A second function for biodiversity conservation is that of providing strict forest species of limited dispersal ability with habitat corridors, which is the case particularly in older, long-existing SRC. The age of the plantation is much more important for this funtion than the length of the rotation intervals.  The two conservation benefits which SRC can have are completely different, but can complement each other. In multifunctional landscapes which aim to maintain open field biodiversity and cultivate forest biodiversity at the same time, a stronger consideration of SRC need not be a threat but can be a valuable ingredient in the land use mix. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Short rotation coppice SRC energy forests biodiversity ground beetles Carabidae meta study corridors endangered species pioneer species Carabid beetles in Short Rotation Coppices (SRC): Comparing the importance of stand age versus plantation age for forest species through a meta study from Central Europe Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e37360 2019-06-18 aca

MECADEV, UMR 7179 CNRS-MNHN, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France author Huang, Sunbin https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8357-6651 author Faille, Arnaud https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3274-5915 author Tian, Mingyi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2823-7619 2019-06-18 2019-06-18 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e37360 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e37360 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37360/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37360/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/37360/download/xml/ Limestone areas of China host remarkable radiations of cave animals. The subterranean trechine beetles (Carabidae: Trechini), the most diverse and modified group of subterranean beetles in the world, are extremely diverse in southern China. The first aphaenopsian trechine beetle, Sinaphaenops mirabilissimus Uéno & Wang, 1991 was reported from a limestone cave in Guizhou province. Up to now, 146 species within 48 genera of aphaenopsian trechine have been described in China after almost three decades. Among them, the genera Giraffaphaenops, Xuedytes, Dongodytes, Sinaphaenops and Pilosaphaenops from northwest Guangxi and south Guizhou are the most modified troglobitic trechine beetles known so far in the world. They are remarkable by their morphology combining extremely slender body and elongated appendages. Some of them are diversified or quite widespread, which is not the case of Xuedytes Tian & Huang, 2017, a remarkable monospecific genus known from a single locality so far. In addition to the surveys and collection of specimens, an integrative approach combining the study of systematics, phylogeny, diversification and biogeography patterns of the cave trechine beetles in China is on the way, in order to understand the origin of the remarkable biodiversity and evolutionary success of this group. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers subterranean cavernicolous  aphaenopsian ground beetles Trechini  Giraffaphaenops Xuedytes Dongodytes Sinaphaenops  Pilosaphaenops The most remarkable cave-specialized trechine beetles from China Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38374 2019-07-19 aca

University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland author Kosewska, Agnieszka Plant Protection Institute, Poznań, Poland author Nijak, Katarzyna University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland author Nietupski, Mariusz Agricultural University, Kraków, Poland author Kędzior, Renata https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8075-5734 2019-07-19 2019-07-19 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38374 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e38374 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38374/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38374/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38374/download/xml/ Ground beetles (Col., Carabidae) are common predators in agrocenoses. A number of plant pests occurring on arable fields become their feed. Therefore, they contribute to a natural reduction of the occurrence of pests. In addition, they are well-known bioindicators used, among others to determine the state of the habitats and the impact of human activity on entomofauna. In the fields, the use of chemical plant protection products is a very controversial activity. The aim of the study was to investigate assemblages of ground beetles occupying conventional and organic sugar beetroot crops. Therefore, to determine the impact of the application of pesticides on the assemblages of these useful beetles was made. The study was conducted at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Winna Góra near Środa Wielkopolska in Poland from May till September of 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. The experiment was carried out in the field with organic crop of sugar beet, and in the crop, for which an integrated plant protection programme was planned. The area of each field was 0.5 ha. Modified Barber traps were used to catch insects. On each of the selected fields 10 pitfalls were set up, which were emptied every 14 days. Within 4 years of the study a total of 11865 specimens belonging to 52 ground beetle species were recorded. 5582 specimens belonging to 50 species and 6283 specimens belonging to 46 species were caught in the fields under chemical protection and organic, respectively. On a multiannual scale, there were no statistically significant differences in the number of individuals and species of Carabidae on conventional and organic fields. Fluctuation in ground beetles abundance and species richness were observed dependent on the year of study but not of the treatment. Harpalus rufipes was the most represented species in all fields. The main conclusion is that using chemical plant protection on a multiannual scale does not adversely affect the number and species richness of ground beetles. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers ground beetles sugar beet pesticide Effect of plant protection on assemblages of carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in beetroot crops in four-year rotation Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38377 2019-07-19 aca

University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland author Koivula, Matti 2019-07-19 2019-07-19 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38377 2019 funder Suomen Akatemia 10.13039/501100002341 10.3897/aca.2.e38377 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38377/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38377/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38377/download/xml/ Many biological responses may develop over long periods of time, and annual community variation should therefore be controlled in ecological research. We sampled carabid beetles over ten years in Norway spruce dominated forests in Southern Finland, harvested using replicated logging treatments of different intensities. We collected carabids in 1995 (prior to logging) and during four post-harvest seasons, 1996-98 and in 2006. The treatments were clear-cutting (no retained trees), modified clear-cutting (retention of three groups of 20-30 trees within one-hectare core) and gap cutting (three 0.16-ha openings within a one-hectare core), and control (mature unharvested forest). Carabids showed remarkable annual and regional variation at assemblage, ecological-group and species levels, such that was independent of treatments. The total species richness, and that of open-habitat carabids, were higher in cleared sites of all treatments than in control stands in 1997-1998 but not in 2006, suggesting that the logging response was ephemeral by many species. The abundances of forest and generalist carabids were little affected by logging. Open-habitat carabids were more abundant in clear-cuts and modified clear-cuts than in gap cuts, which was still detectable in 2006, suggesting a long-term effect. Open-habitat carabids were less abundant in retention sites of modified clear-cuts and gap cuts than in cleared sites, suggesting that retention attenuates assemblage change. Carabid assemblages of logged stands did not differ from control stands in 1996 but they did in 1997-1998, suggesting a one-year delay in logging response. In 2006, logged and control stands hosted relatively similar assemblages which, together with the above results, suggests a partial faunal recovery. We conclude that even modest retention provides long-term support for forest carabids, but also that their full assemblage recovery takes longer than 10 years. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Clear cutting Gap cutting Retention Selection cutting Thinning Responses of boreal ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) to different logging regimes during ten years of secondary succession Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38376 2019-07-19 aca

University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland Finnish Natural Resources Institute, Helsinki, Finland author Koivula, Matti 2019-07-19 2019-07-19 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38376 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e38376 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38376/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38376/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38376/download/xml/ Urban forests are regularly managed for human safety and aesthetic reasons, but they are crucial habitat for many species. Removals of undergrowth occur commonly in these forests, yet the ecological consequences of these operations are poorly understood. We sampled ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) along 20-m edge gradients in Finnish urban forests, in five stands treated 0.5−2.5 years earlier with undergrowth removal and in five untreated stands. We hypothesized that undergrowth removal and edge proximity would benefit opportunistic and open-habitat species, whereas shady-habitat species would be affected negatively. Diversity and evenness indices, open-habitat species and Carabus nemoralis responded positively, and forest species, Leistus terminatus and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus responded negatively, to the undergrowth removal. Edge proximity had little effect on carabids. However, open-habitat carabids were less abundant and less speciose 10−20 m from than right at the edge. We conclude that, while managing urban forests, undergrowth removals should be avoided at sites that host rare or threatened forest-associated species. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Carabidae edge effect forest management Effects of undergrowth removal and edge proximity on ground beetles in urban boreal forests Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38379 2019-07-22 aca

Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France author Carbonne, Benjamin Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France author Bohan, David Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France author Petit, Sandrine 2019-07-22 2019-07-22 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38379 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e38379 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38379/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38379/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38379/download/xml/ For future arable agriculture, there is a need for more sustainable methods to manage weeds that are less reliant on herbicides and maintain food production. Control of weeds by natural enemies is an agro-ecological alternative to reduce the use of herbicides. While strong evidence points to carabid beetles exerting a regulatory effect on certain weed species, it is difficult to predict whether a particular assemblage of carabid species or functional groups will drive the function of weed seed predation in field conditions. There are also uncertainties about which key local and landscape-scale factors affect the function of weed seed predation, and the functional characteristics of carabid communities. In this presentation, we report on specific research actions being conducted within the wider C-IPM BioAWARE project that focuses on weed regulation by carabid biodiversity. We first briefly present statistical analyses aimed at identifying key assemblages of carabid taxa delivering high weed seed predation of Viola arvensis seeds during spring. We then present the principles and the implementation of the BioAWARE large-scale European survey currently in place. We explain how this large-scale design will be used to assess: (i) how landscape characteristics and infield trophic resources determine the functional characteristics and the diversity of carabid communities; and, (ii) key carabid assemblages delivering high seed predation of a large range of weeds through the evolution of the seedbank. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers carabid beetle weed seed predation conservation biological control biodiversity C-IPM BioAWARE project Toward a better understanding of in-field weed regulation by carabid beetles, and their functional characteristics, in European arable landscapes Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38395 2019-07-22 aca

University of Arizona, Tucson, United States of America author Moore, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4441-6203 USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Beltsville, MD, United States of America author Robertson, James A. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland author Nagel, Peter University of Roma Tre, Roma, Italy author Di Giulio, Andrea 2019-07-22 2019-07-22 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38395 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e38395 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38395/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38395/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38395/download/xml/ Endemic to the Palaeotropic and southern Palaearctic regions, ant nest beetles (Carabidae: Paussus) are specialized predators that depend on ants for their survival. This obligate relationship has driven extreme morphological adaptations that obscured our understanding of Paussus species relationships and subgeneric clades for centuries. Molecular phylogenetics has revealed patterns of relationship with high levels of convergence, and as a general rule, areas of endemism are better predictors of monophyly than overall morphology. For example, the species rich fauna of Madagascar is the product of one dispersal event from Africa approximately 2.6 million years ago, after which Malagasy ant nest beetles undertook one of the fastest species radiations ever documented within animals. With their center of diversity in sub-Saharan Africa, the Paussus fauna of the Mediterranean is relatively depauperate with only seven species described from north of the Sahara. Pre-molecular subgeneric classifications, which were based on overall morphology, suggest that these seven species represent five species group lineages. Here, we use molecular sequence data from five genes and a taxon-sampling strategy aimed at investigating the biogeographic origins of five Mediterranean species. We find that the present-day Mediterranean fauna, unlike that of Madagascar, is the result of five separate dispersal events, four from the Afrotropical Region and one from the Indomalayan Region. Implications of associated host ant shifts are also explored.  text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Ant Nest Beetles biogeography Mediterranean molecular phylogeny Mediterranean Ant Nest Beetles (Carabidae: Paussus): Out of Africa and Asia Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38396 2019-07-22 aca

University of Arizona, Department of Entomology, Tucson, United States of America author Moore, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4441-6203 Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States of America author Maddison, David R. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-3824 2019-07-22 2019-07-22 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38396 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e38396 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38396/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38396/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38396/download/xml/ Members of the carabid subfamily Paussinae are known for their explosive defensive chemistry and their associations with ants, which vary from some species being facultative predators of adult ants to others being obligate predators of ant brood.  This association with ants has driven extreme morphological adaptations in some lineages.  Approximately 750 species are currently classified into four tribes: Metriini, Ozaenini, Protopaussini and Paussini.  Here we use molecular sequence data from five genes (28S ribosomal DNA; 18S ribosomal DNA; wingless; carbamoyl phosphate synthetase domain of the rudimentary gene; and arginine kinase) to reveal patterns of deep divergence and provide a new tribal level classification reflecting evolutionary history.  We recognize and describe two new tribes, and the tribe Ozaenini is redefined. Among other traits, members of each tribe has a characteristic shape of the cuticular fold at the posterolateral angle of both elytra, known as the flange of Coanda. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Molecular Phylogeny and Tribal Classification of Flanged Bombardier Beetles (Carabidae: Paussinae) Conference Abstract

10.3897/aca.2.e38425 2019-07-22 aca

Crop Research Institute, Functional Diversity in Agro-Ecosystems, Drnovská 507, 161 06, Praha 6 - Ruzyne, Czech Republic Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Praha - Suchdol, Czech Republic author Foffová, Hana https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5528-7211 Crop Research Institute, Prague 6 Ruzyne, Czech Republic author Saska, Pavel INRA, UMR 1210 Biologie et Gestion des Adventices, 17 rue Sully, BP 86510, 21065, Dijon, France author Bohan, David 2019-07-22 2019-07-22 2019 ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2603-3925 2 e38425 2019 10.3897/aca.2.e38425 https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38425/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38425/download/pdf/ https://aca.pensoft.net/article/38425/download/xml/ Seed predators are an integral part of agrocoenoses where they contribute to the reduction of weed populations. Although they are taking part in biological control of weed seeds, we still do not understand which properties of seeds are responsible for variable attractiveness of different species of seeds to carabids beetles.  Seed coat provides a physical barrier and hinders volatiles to be released from the seeds when these are dry. In this work, we focused on seed preferences of Taraxacum officinale and Stellaria media by a ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species, Poecilus cupreus, which is known as an omnivorous species. The seeds were used in three different states - dry, imbibed and with crushed seed coat, and from two different origins. The seeds were presented simultaneously in an experimental arena. Seed consumption was assessed after 30 minutes, 24 hours and 48 hours of exposure. There was no statistically significant difference between seeds with different origin. The most preferred seeds were T. officinale with damaged seed coat. The total consumption of these seeds was was 0.1 % after 30 minutes, 13.8 % after 1 day and 71.5 % after 48 hours. The seeds of S. media were consumed less. This indicates that the consumption was enhanced by either an increase of volatile compounds from the damaged seeds that attracted the beetles, or from shorter handling time due to reduced physical barrier of the crushed coat. text/html en_US Pensoft Publishers Some seed properties affecting seed choice by Poecilus cupreus Conference Abstract cGFnZT0xJnNldD1hY2EmZnJvbT0mdW50aWw9Jm1ldGFkYXRhX3ByZWZpeD1tb2Rz